[Winner's Club] Woodland Powered to Victory with Cobra

by Roh Woolae

Published 31 Mar.2026 01:00(KST)

Updated 31 Mar.2026 07:26(KST)

open/close

Fifth Career Win at the Texas Children's Houston Open
Equipped with Cobra OPTM Max K Driver
Average Driving Distance of 321.90 Yards and Overwhelming Straight-Line Performance

Gary Woodland (USA) reclaimed the top spot, powered by his impressive long drives.

On March 29 (local time), he won the Texas Children's Houston Open on the PGA Tour with a five-shot victory (21-under 259) at Memorial Park Golf Course (par 70, 7,475 yards) in Houston, Texas, USA. This marks his fifth career win and his first since the US Open major tournament in June 2019. The winner's prize is 1,782,000 dollars (approximately 2.7 billion won), out of a total purse of 9.9 million dollars.

Gary Woodland claimed the top spot with powerful long drives at the Texas Children's Houston Open. Houston=AFP Yonhap News

Immediately after his victory, Woodland, teary-eyed, shared hugs with his caddie and wife, savoring the moment. In September 2023, he underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor. At the time, the operation required making an opening in his skull the size of a baseball—a major procedure. Woodland said, "There were tough moments, but I never gave up," and tearfully added, "Today will be a springboard for me to move forward."

Having overcome the brain tumor, Woodland delivered a flawless performance over four rounds. He carded 64 on the first day, followed by rounds of 63, 65, and 67. Starting the final round with a one-shot lead, he tallied four birdies and one bogey. His greens in regulation rate was an outstanding 80.56% (2nd), and putts per green in regulation averaged 1.60 (2nd), both among the tournament's best.

Above all, his explosive driving distance stood out. Over four days, Woodland averaged 321.90 yards off the tee (7th), with a maximum distance of 366 yards (tied for 13th). He used the Cobra OPTM Max K driver with a loft of 9 degrees. This driver features a high moment of inertia (MOI) and a precisely engineered head shape achieved through supercomputing technology. The club is designed to minimize side spin and deliver exceptional straight-line performance—a true game-changer.