Gary Woodland's par putt at Bellerive books his Tour Championship trip

By Staff Writer

August 24, 2026

2 min read

Key takeaways

Gary Woodland opened the BMW Championship with rounds of 64 and 65 before an even-par 70 Saturday.
A double bogey on the ninth hole Sunday dropped him out of contention for the title.
A 10-foot par putt on 18 secured a top-30 finish and a spot in the FedEx Cup standings.
He moved to 18th in the FedEx Cup, sending him to the Tour Championship at East Lake for the first time since 2019.
Woodland underwent brain surgery in 2023 and has been public about his ongoing struggle with PTSD.

Gary Woodland's week at the BMW Championship came down to a single 10-foot par putt at Bellerive Country Club on Sunday, and making it sent him back to the Tour Championship for the first time since he won the 2019 U.S. Open.

How did Woodland get into position at Bellerive?

Woodland entered the week outside the top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings and needed a strong finish in St. Louis to reach East Lake. He opened with a 64 and a 65 to climb into contention, then shot an even-par 70 on Saturday that left him behind 54-hole leader Wyndham Clark. On Sunday, Woodland briefly pulled within one shot of the lead through the ninth hole before cold-topping a drive into the water for a double bogey that ended his run at the title.

What happened on the closing hole?

Woodland made eight straight pars to open the back nine, then pulled his drive on 18 well left, sent his approach over the green and chipped to 10 feet. He rolled in the par putt to lock up a top-30 finish, pumped his fist and looked to the sky with tears in his eyes. "I don't really have words right now," Woodland told CBS's Amanda Balionis afterward.

A single par putt was the difference between Woodland's season ending in St. Louis and continuing at East Lake.

What has Woodland's season looked like since going public about his PTSD?

Woodland underwent brain surgery in 2023 to remove a tumor and has since dealt with PTSD. He missed four of his first six cuts to start 2026, then spoke publicly about the diagnosis in a March interview with Golf Channel. Two weeks later he won the Texas Children's Houston Open, his first title since the 2019 U.S. Open. He now has one win, six top-10s and eight top-25s on the season, and moved to No. 18 in the FedEx Cup standings after Bellerive.

Frequently asked questions

Did Gary Woodland qualify for the Tour Championship?

Yes. His BMW Championship result moved him to 18th in the FedEx Cup standings, inside the top-30 cutoff for East Lake.

What health issue has Gary Woodland dealt with?

He underwent brain surgery in 2023 to remove a tumor and has spoken publicly about ongoing PTSD.

When did Gary Woodland last play the Tour Championship?

Not since 2019, the year he won the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.

The Loop take

Woodland's result at Bellerive is a scorecard entry, but the context around it is what makes it worth noting: a player who missed cuts to start the year making a Tour Championship field on the last hole of the last chance he had.