The golf world is full of heartfelt stories, and fans live for them. From amazing moments of Tiger Woods and Justin Thomas‘s banter to Paige Spiranac defending Rory McIlroy over his divorce controversy, this long list of never-ending humanity in and out of the greens has added another story. It comes between Gary Woodland and Amanda Balionis. Gary Woodland just took home the PGA Tour’s Courage Award—and now he’s teeing up at the Cognizant Classic for a shot at $9.2M! Jay Monahan called Gary’s journey well-documented and “nothing short of miraculous.” Woodland is the seventh recipient of the award and joins names like Chris Kirk (2023) and D.J. Gregory (2022), among others.

A few hours ago, the official account of the PGA Tour highlighted how “He continues to manage symptoms as he competes full-time on the PGA TOUR.” Needless to say, this has overwhelmed Woodland’s fans and fellow golfers. One of the names happens to be that of Amanda Balionis. She reposted the PGA Tour’s post in her story and left a heartfelt comment, supporting the Woodland family, “Gary and his family had zero control over this horrible, scary, and heartbreaking diagnosis. The way they showed up in the face of something so unfair is truly inspiring.”

Undoubtedly, Woodland is deserving of this award. Let’s take a look at more of Woodland.

Amanda Balionis’s constant support for Gary Woodland and others

The CBS journalist has consistently shown support for Gary Woodland during his health challenges. Before the Instagram-style appreciation, Amanda Balionis expressed big support in Full Swing, season 3, episode 6, for Gary Woodland as he opened up about his rough ride since 2023.

Amanda Balionis hyped up Gary Woodland, calling out his PGA Tour respect and the brutal off-course fight he’s had since 2023—brain tumor, surgery, and all. But Woodland? He’s not backing down. Aside from Gary Woodland, Amanda Balionis recently praised Rory McIlroy. He snagged his 27th PGA Tour trophy at Pebble Beach, and Amanda Balionis was all over the win! She gave him his props, symbolizing his name to this W. A positive way to kick off his year!

In her shoutout list, Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda also make an appearance. Amanda Balionis gave them their flowers for grinding their way to some major career milestones. But what about Gary Woodland’s 2025? With a lukewarm performance, Woodland has shown that he is still a simmering golfer to keep an eye on despite being in recovery. He peaked at the Sony Open in Hawaii with a respectable T16.

His season is shaping up like a beautiful pottery piece—proof that you can’t hurt for nothing. From beating brain surgery to earning the PGA Tour’s Courage Award and competing with the best, he’s shown heart and a swing that won’t quit. If this year has taught us anything, it’s that Gary Woodland isn’t just back, he’s here to make some noise. Inarguably, he deserves the award after going through so many hardships. Cheers to Woodland’s full recovery this season!