ATLANTA -- When Gary Woodland announced in September 2023 that he'd undergone surgery to remove a benign lesion from his brain, he estimates he probably received 100 text messages wishing him well. After revealing in March that he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder related to the procedure, the PGA Tour golfer said he received thousands of emails and text messages offering encouragement.

"People, I don't think, can relate to brain surgery," Woodland said Wednesday at East Lake Golf Club. "People can relate to what I'm battling now. The amount of messages I got of people just saying thank you because they're battling stuff that nobody knows about -- if I can come out and ask for help and talk about it, then they've gotten help too."

Woodland, 42, is still battling severe hypertension and stress from his PTSD. During the third round of last week's BMW Championship in St. Louis, Woodland asked PGA Tour security officials to remove drones that were following him on the course and causing him anxiety.

"The hardest thing for me I've ever had to do was ask for help," Woodland said. "I don't have to fight this on my own. I can ask for help, and when you do, people help you. I'm learning to ask for help to help me get through a lot of things that I'm still struggling with. But I'm a lot better off now than I was six months ago."

Woodland is playing in the Tour Championship for the first time since 2019, the same season in which he won the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links in California. He credited his wife, Gabby, and his team of doctors and psychologists for helping him improve his mental health. Woodland has been named a U.S. team captain's assistant for the upcoming Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club.