Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

If you watched professional golf late last week and over the weekend, you saw a heart-warming story.

Long-time pro Gary Woodland won the Houston Open, his first win in about seven years, dating back to when he won the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in 2019

Heart-warming?

Yes.

Woodland recovered from brain surgery a couple years ago, then three weeks ago opened his mouth and his heart about his struggles with PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) after the surgery.

Here is the way GolfWeek wrote about Woodland’s win under this headline:  Gary Woodland wins 2026 Houston Open following emotional PTSD revelation.

“It was only 20 days ago Gary Woodland revealed to the world he deals with PTSD, a side effect from brain surgery to remove a lesion in September 2023.  He did so in an emotional Golf Channel interview before the Players Championship, saying he needed to get it off his chest, hoping to help not only himself but others dealing with similar circumstances.

“Earlier this week, the 41-year-old said it felt like he had a 1,000-pound weight lifted off his shoulders after telling the world of his diagnosis.  He’s going to feel a little bit heavier Sunday, but it’s because he’s hoisting a trophy for the first time in almost seven years.

“Woodland won the 2026 Texas Children’s Houston Open at Memorial Park, his first victory since the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in 2019.  The span between wins was one of the most difficult challenges any professional golfer has faced off the course during that time.

“But Sunday belonged to Woodland, who showed the fans, his peers and the world you can overcome anything you set your mind to.

“The way Woodland won was dominant.  He led by only one shot after 54 holes, and by the time he made the turn, he was six ahead.  Coming down the stretch, he led by as many as seven shots. He finished at 21 under par, beating Nicolai Hojgaard by five shots.

“Hojgaard and Min Woo Lee, the defending champion in Houston, walked about 50 yards behind Woodland cheering him on as he marched to victory down the 18th hole Sunday afternoon.

“Earlier this week, Woodland switched to his old iron shafts, a stiffer version that could handle an aggressive swing.  The change came after his coach, Randy Smith, told Woodland he needed to start swinging harder at the ball like he did when he won the U.S. Open.

“That was the plan this week.  And Woodland swung away at Memorial Park. On the par-5 third hole, he hit 196 mph ball speed with his tee shot and constantly was in the 190s off the tee.  For the season, Woodland is first in ball speed on the PGA Tour, and those numbers likely will only go up after this week.

“And now, he’s back in the winner’s circle. The win also gets him into the Masters in two weeks.”

A couple more points:

• Kudos to Hojgaard and Lee for giving the stage to Woodland as all three walked up the 18^th hole.  Woodland deserved the adulation.

• Just after Woodland confirmed his win with a putt to save par on 18, his wife came out quickly and gave him a well-deserved hug.  He couldn’t restrain his tears at the solid result.  And, now in a couple weeks, he moves on to the Masters.