He was a major champion with a major problem. Why this golfer wrote his kids a letter that he hoped they’d never read

When American golfer Gary Woodland won the US Open tournament in 2019, he was on top of the world. Just four years later, he quite literally thought his world was going to end.

When American golfer Gary Woodland won the US Open tournament in 2019, he was on top of the world. Just four years later, he quite literally thought his world was going to end. “It was hell,” he told CNN Sports at The Players Championship in Florida. “Every situation, from driving in a car to getting on an airplane to walking down the street. Everything was end-of-the-world death for me.” Seemingly out of nowhere, Woodland found himself crippled by anxiety and the fear of dying; he was struggling to focus, and his energy was ebbing away. His doctors discovered that a benign lesion was growing on his brain, inducing seizures and pressuring his amygdala, which specifically triggers fear and anxiety responses. Somehow, Woodland was able to carry on playing after he was first woken up with a jolt by unfounded fears at the Mexico Open in April, remarkably making eight cuts in his next 10 tournaments. Medication was helping, but the symptoms were getting worse, and his condition was taking a steep toll on his family life. “It was tough on my wife, my three little kids,” he recalled. “When they got excited, I had to leave the room because my brain couldn’t handle the stimulation. They don’t understand why I have to go lay in the bed in a dark room to slow everything down. That was devastating for me.” He added, “My wife had to make sure I was OK every day and she had to raise them. On top of that, I’m still trying to play golf. It was tough.”