BMW Championship 3라운드가 끝났다. 윈드함 클락이 막강한 리드를 앞세우고 있는 가운데, 가장 주목할 만한 장면은 심리적 장애를 극복하며 경기하는 게리 우드랜드의 모습이었다. 30,000명이 넘는 관중이 벨레리브 컨트리클럽을 채웠고, 각 선수의 용감한 플레이가 펼쳐졌다.
01극복의 드라마: 게리 우드랜드의 투쟁
10번 홀에 도착한 게리 우드랜드에게 터져 나온 환호성. 토페카에서 불과 4시간 거리에 있는 이곳에서 우드랜드는 거의 홈 코스 같은 응원을 받았다. 관중들의 "Rock Chalk" 외침, "G-Bo"와 "Gar-Bear" 콜. 수많은 팬들이 하이파이브를 청했다.
하지만 우드랜드는 혼자 보이지 않는 전투를 치르고 있었다. 3년 전 뇌종양 제거 수술 후, 그는 심각한 불안감과 죽음에 대한 극심한 공포라는 후유증에 시달리고 있다. 종양이 제거되었지만, PTSD(외상후스트레스장애)는 여전했다. 코스 위에서 시력 흐릿함과 압도적인 불안감. 극심한 경우 그린을 떠날 때마다 화장실에 들어가 울기도 했다.
그럼에도 우드랜드는 3라운드에서 이브 플레이(70타)를 기록했다. 클락 뒤에 6타 차이로 밀려났지만, 그의 진정한 성취는 점수표에 다 담기지 않는다. 거의 모든 퍼트 전에 가슴에 손을 얹으며 중얼거렸다.
심장박동이 느껴지면 나는 살아 있다는 것을 안다. 숨을 쉬고 있다는 것을 안다게리 우드랜드
매 그린마다 보안요원이 그의 옆에 붙어있었다. 모든 티박스에서 깊은 숨을 쉬는 그. 천천히 눈을 깜빡이는 그 작은 몸짓은 이 모든 과정이 얼마나 소모적인지 보여주었다. 7번홀과 14번홀의 플래그샷으로 2개의 버디를 기록했다.
우드랜드는 현재 45명의 선수를 제치고 있다. TOUR Championship 진출이 현실 가까워졌다. 이는 프로 골프에서 대부분의 선수가 감당할 수 없는 이정표다. 우드랜드가 느끼는 스트레스는 다른 누구도 경험하지 못한다. 이것이 우리가 말하는 성취 이상의 가치를 가진 이유다.
02클락의 대승, 그리고 최종 라운드
윈드함 클락이 막강한 리드를 가지고 최종 라운드로 향한다. 여러 선수가 클락의 우승을 거의 확실하게 본다. 하지만 PGA 투어에서는 예측 불가능한 일들이 늘 일어난다. 클락 자신도 "내일 좋은 골프만 치면 된다"는 차분한 태도로 일요일을 준비하고 있다.
03상위 30인 진출과 Presidents Cup 선발
BMW Championship 이후 상위 30인만 TOUR Championship으로 진출한다. FedExCup 우승의 기회와 2027년 메이저 챔피언십 면제권이 달려 있다. 현재 랭킹은 어제와 비슷한 선수들이 상위를 점하고 있다. 리치 파울러는 탈락이 예상된다. "좋은 골프만 치면 된다"는 파울러의 말처럼, 일요일이 모두에게 마지막 기회다.
또한 U.S. Presidents Cup 대표팀의 6명 자동 선발권도 벨레리브에서의 경기 후 확정된다. 현재 그리핀은 자동 선발권 획득이 어려워 보인다. 지난 한 달간 상위 40위권 피니시가 없었기 때문이다. TOUR Championship 진출도 불확실한 상황에서, 일요일 경기가 그의 마지막 기회가 될 수 있다.
04Original (English) — PGA TOUR
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We will get Wyndham and Rory tomorrow, but first…
ST. LOUIS – As Gary Woodland approaches the 10th, the cheers begin again. They are loud and vociferous in their support. Wyndham Clark walks next to him with the lead in hand, but everyone is focused on Woodland.
Countless arms stretch out, hoping for a high-five as the corridor narrows with the tee box just on the other side. Chants of "Rock Chalk" come in bunches. "G-Bo" and "Gar-Bear," too. They are raining down on him. They are part of the more than 30,000 in attendance. You couldn't find one rooting against him. This is as close as he will ever get to a hometown event, roughly four hours from Topeka, Kansas. You can feel it.
Woodland does his best to acknowledge them, but it's a delicate balance. He is fighting a never-ending invisible battle. And what he wants to do most – contend in golf tournaments – is also what triggers it most.
It's a reality and a weight Woodland bears alone.
Woodland's story is well known. He had a brain tumor removed nearly three years ago, but the effects remain. The tumor was on a part of his brain that controlled fear. With the tumor blocking it, Woodland suffered from debilitating panic, extreme anxiety and an overwhelming and constant fear of death.
The tumor was successfully removed, with the hope that the effects would go away. Except they didn't, not completely.
Woodland was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, a development he shared at THE PLAYERS Championship this March. He's had blurry vision on the course and overwhelming anxiety. In an extreme case, he had to go into porta-potties between holes and cry.
I say all that to say it's a marvel to watch Woodland. He didn't have his best on Saturday, playing in the final pairing. He shot an even-par 70, now six behind Clark. I'm sure he's disappointed about that.
That won't be my lasting memory of following Woodland on Saturday. Instead, it's this: How could he ever have his best with all this going on? The scenes were ravenous on Saturday, and the pressure to play well, regardless of any physical or mental condition, is immense.
Before almost every putt, I watched Woodland put his hand on his heart to "just to remind myself that I'm alive, and if I can feel my heartbeat, I know I'm breathing." He said that earlier this week. He's not being dramatic. That's actually what he's doing and actually what he's thinking.
I watched a security guard walk right next to Woodland from every green to the next tee box, an intentional decision to help him know he's safe. I watched him take deep breaths when he reaches every tee box. I watched him slowly blink, a small admission that all of this is draining. Then I watched him flag a shot at the seventh and another at the 14th, leading to his lone two birdies of the day. It amazes me.
I know we talk about Woodland's condition a lot, but I'm leaving this week certain that we don't talk about it enough. He's beating 45 players this week, none of whom feel the stress he feels. Woodland is in position to make the TOUR Championship, a milestone that's too difficult for most in pro golf.
It's an incredible feat, the most impressive I'll see in a long time. I'm not even sure a 59 from Clark on Sunday would supplant it.
📺 Catch up on Round 3 highlights …
🏆 Wyndham Clark has a massive lead. Can he hold it?
🏌️Alex Fitzpatrick is a top contender for TOUR Rookie of the Year. He dove into the intricacies of his swing with us earlier this week …
OK, let's talk bubble! As a reminder, only the top 30 move on after this week. A spot at the TOUR Championship comes with the possibility of winning the FedExCup, along with exemptions into the 2027 major championships.
It's many of the same names as yesterday, a sign that things are possibly settling into place. Though ask Rickie Fowler, who is projected to drop out, "it's pretty simple, just go play some good golf tomorrow."
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Let's also touch on the Presidents Cup. The U.S. Team's six automatic qualifiers will lock after play wraps at Bellerive, and there is some projected movement.
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Griffin began the week fifth in the standings, and he's spent all year in position to earn one of those auto-qualifiers. Yet he has struggled recently, with no top 40s in more than a month. Could that lead to being left off the team entirely? Working against Griffin is that he's not projected to advance to the TOUR Championship, so Sunday is his last chance to show his form.
