Welcome back to another edition of the Sunday Swing presented by 2nd Swing Golf. This week the PGA Tour teed it up at the Texas Children’s Houston Open at Memorial Park Golf Course. With just a couple weeks remaining before The Masters, a number of players entered the week in search of a final push to earn an invite to Augusta. Among them was 41-year-old and former US Open winner Gary Woodland.

In 2023, Woodland underwent a major brain surgery to remove a tumor from his amygdala. Since then, he has been trying his best to get back into form, while being open about his struggle with PTSD from the health scare. He entered the Houston Open in superb form, having recorded a Top-15 finish last week at the Valspar Championship.

Woodland opened with rounds of 64 and 63 to vault way ahead of the field at 13-under-par in 36 holes. He kept the gas pedal down by adding a 65 on Saturday, but the lead actually shrunk down to two shots thanks to a 62 and 63 from Nicolai Hojgaard on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

However, the tournament was basically decided on the front nine of Sunday’s final round. Woodland increased his two-shot lead to seven at one point by shooting a four-under-par 31, while Hojgaard struggled to a 36. Then, Woodland primarily played for pars the rest of the way en route to a 67 that was good enough for a five-shot win.

Given Woodland’s trials off the course over the past few years, the victory marks one of the most inspiring golf stories in recent memory. Woodland now receives an invite to The Masters and appears to be his best form since winning the US Open in 2019.

Boasting one of the fastest swing speeds in the game, Woodland’s equipment features several unique tweaks and specs to make it work. Here’s a look at Woodland’s setup:

Fitting Insights

The Max-K head is deepCG and ultrastable, but built in a prototype LSK configuration specifically to manage spin at Woodland’s elite clubhead speeds. Rather than chasing low spin through frontweighted heads, Woodland uses deep stability plus low loft to control curvature and dispersion. The heavy, ultrastiff shaft ensures the face stays extremely stable throughout the swing, Woodland also has decent padding of lead tape in the heel of the driver, this helps him to make the driver more draw bias so he can really commit to hitting his power cut.

Fitting Insights

The contrast here is intentional. Woodland’s driver is built for max aggression, while his 3wood prioritizes playable launch and control. A slightly more active shaft profile than his driver allows him to elevate the ball easily, creating separation between the top two clubs without disrupting timing. The Accra Tour Z Xtreme shaft plays similar to the Ventus black In the handle and mid-section but has more give in the bottom which allows him to gain more loft and performance into the greens.  

Fitting Insights

Highspeed players often benefit from a lowspin utility to bridge the gap between woods and irons. We see this a lot for people like Woodland who benefit from a driving iron club instead of a higher lofted fairway. Higher lofted fairways tend to be higher in spin/launch which does not work well for hitting the flight windows tour players look for. However, for Woodland, this club provides a repeatable launch window and keeps the ball out of trouble when accuracy trumps carry. 

Fitting Insights

Using heavier wedge shafts enhances head feel on partial shots, improving speed control under pressure. Woodland’s mix of brands here underscores a Tour truth: wedges are about performance first. He chooses shapes and soles that let him stay aggressive without digging. The RTZ wedge is an ode to the old 488 wedges from Cleveland that has a similar shaft plus a lot more offset. 

Fitting Insights

Centershafted mallets often suit players who want minimal face rotation and a straightback, straightthrough feel. He loved the alignment of a low torque putter but did not like the feel so this set up gives him all the benefits of that with improved feel. Combined with a slightly thicker pistol grip, this build stabilizes the stroke and enhances startline consistency — critical when riding momentum late on Sunday.