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Gary Woodland is set to return to action on the PGA Tour. The 39-year-old golfer has been named on the 2024 Sony Open field less than four months after undergoing surgery to remove tumors on his brain.
According to Golf Channel’s report, Woodland will tee off at the Sony Open in Honolulu on January 11. The PGA Tour released the full-field list for the Hawaii event on Friday (January 5).
For the unversed, Woodland was diagnosed with the lesion months earlier. The golfer underwent surgery on September 18, 2023. Earlier, he had posted on social media he had been trying to treat symptoms with medication. However, the golfer underwent surgery after consulting with specialists and his family.
It is noteworthy that the University of Kansas, where Gary Woodland played college golf, renamed its golf course after him shortly after his surgery. Later, in November, the 2019 US Open champion posted a video hitting practice balls. He shared the post with an “I look forward to seeing you all next year,” caption, hinting at a comeback.
Gary Woodland shared the video on X:
"This journey has been very hard but I’m extremely thankful to be progressing and for the unconditional love and support from everyone. You’ve all made this process a little easier for me and my family. Thank you to everyone and I look forward seeing you all next year."
It is pertinent to note that Woodland played in the 2023 Sony Open. However, he failed to make the cut. The golfer, who last competed in the Wyndham Championship in August, looks fired up for his return. Woodland will once again go up against the 144-player field to start his new season.
The 2024 Sony Open field explored
The Sony Open will continue the PGA Tour outing in Hawaii. The second event of the 2024 season will be played at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu.
The four-day event will see a 144-player field, including 20 of the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking among the top contenders.
The event field will feature the likes of Ludvig Aberg, Brian Harman, Tyrrell Hatton, Keegan Bradley, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Lucas Glover among others. Reigning champion Si Woo Kim will also return to defend his title.
Much like Woodland, Will Zalatoris will also make a comeback at the event after sitting out a major part of last season with an injury.
Listed below are the top 50-ranked players in the 2024 Sony Open field:
- 8 - Matt Fitzpatrick
- 9 - Brian Harman
- 12 - Tyrrell Hatton
- 16 - Keegan Bradley
- 24 - Russell Henley
- 29 - Ludvig Aberg
- 30 - Lucas Glover
- 31 - Kurt Kitayama
- 32 - Sahith Theegala
- 34 - Denny Mccarthy
- 35 - Corey Conners
- 36 - Justin Rose
- 37 - Emiliano Grillo
- 38 - Will Zalatoris
- 40 - Harris English
- 41 - Eric Cole
- 42 - Cameron Davis
- 43 - J.T. Poston
- 47 - Si Woo Kim
- 49 - Adam Hadwin
The Sony Open alternate list features Norman Xiong and Nicholas Lindheim as the first two entries.
