I'm becoming a more complete player. I have more shots. I can rely more on my putting, rely on my short game.
— Gary Woodland
My grandfather was in the military, and I've been part of the Folds of Honor Foundation since 2009, so having the opportunity to wear Puma's Volition America collection is the perfect fit for me.
I was Graeme McDowell's neighbour for eight years in Orlando.
I played other sports, so when I played golf, I wanted to have fun. And hitting it far is fun.
I've trained since I started walking, I've played sports, I've competed. I've learned how to win, even if I haven't done it as much as I'd like.
I'm not going to abandon the power game, but I'm going to be sure use it to my advantage.
Obviously I have no problem wearing pants in competition, but sometimes we're out here in the summer and it's so hot.
It's nice to see the results. You work so hard and you want to see results to back up the work that you've done.
Everybody expects you to play well, and when you don't have the results, that's tough.
It's frustrating not to play well.
My dad never let me win. I didn't beat him at golf until I was 13. I didn't beat him at basketball until I was 15. When we played each other, he was big and mean.
I could handle the basketball but I wasn't quick enough to move defensively. Offensively, I was fine. I could get around, I could do stuff, but defensively I wasn't quick enough. I couldn't keep up. That was the biggest thing. And that was at the Division II level.
Being a father now puts life in perspective. My whole life it's all been about trying to win. And now I'm trying to make a better life for my son than I've had.
Life's not always going to be bells and whistles.
I'll never forget where I came from, and I'll never forget who I am.
For years, I felt like I was just whacking at the ball, trying to see how far I could hit it, especially with the driver. Whatever the coach I was working with at the time told me to do, I would just go along with it.
I loved baseball, and I was the best at basketball. Golf was sort of third on my list.
I don't know if I've ever had the autograph requests that I've had. It's hard to say no, especially when somebody's out there and they're asking. It would have been hard for me to hear no when I was a kid, so you try to make time and prepare for that, I guess.
My short game was really what was really bad, to be honest with you. And so my whole deal was I had to hit chips off putting greens all the time, and there were some times where superintendents weren't a huge fan of me.
It was hard growing up because there was nothing close. I never went to a golf tournament.
I can control my attitude, and I can control my game.
Obviously, if you make birdies, you can move up quickly.
I thought the opportunity to play golf 12 months a year would give me a chance to go where I wanted to go.
I rely on my ball striking more than anything.
Obviously I rely on my driving.
I like to play aggressively, and it just lets me go for even more shots.
I've always been a pretty good ball-striker, I've relied on my ball-striking in my whole career, my athletic ability. But the short game and putting has kind of held me back in majors.
I think I proved what I always believed. That I'm pretty good.
Adrenaline is a huge deal. All of a sudden you start hitting the golf ball a little bit farther. You learn to stay within yourself and what you have to do to calm yourself down and stay within your game plan.
I always just wanted to be successful. I didn't know what it was, what I was going to do.
I worked my whole life and dreamed my whole life of being a professional athlete.
I think of all my iron shots as punches - not punch shots, but how much pressure I'm applying to the hit.
It's been my experience that success in golf comes from not letting your mind wander from the shot you're about to hit.
It took me a lot to learn to control adrenaline; and other sports you use adrenaline to your advantage.
I don't know if I spent any time on a putting green when I was a kid. I was too busy hitting driver.
You just have to drive it in the fairways. If you miss fairways, it's easy to make big numbers.
If I'm hitting 3-wood and everyone else is hitting driver, it's a level playing field. If I'm hitting driver straight, then I think I'm playing at a different level than everybody else.
I know what it takes to win.
I'm comfortable playing aggressively.
People probably growing up said U.S. Open wouldn't suit me, because I'm a long hitter, I'm a bomber.
I can hit a lot of drivers, be aggressive, and attack from the fairway.
I feel I'm a top player, I do.
When I see the ball going in the hole, I'm a completely different player.
Enjoy the pressure. Enjoy the stress. Enjoy being uncomfortable. And don't shy away from it, embrace it.
I kept hearing about my 54-hole record and I kept telling myself that records are made to be broken.
I don't have to be perfect with my ball-striking, because I have other things that can pick me up, that's been a big confidence boost for me, knowing I don't have to be perfect; I can still contend and have a chance to win.
There are going to be bad things in your life, a lot of ups and downs, but the only thing you can control is your attitude. And if you do that, in the end good things will happen.
I'm becoming a more complete player where I believe I can compete more week in, week out, especially in major championships.
I love to play three-quarter iron shots. They take a lot of extra movement out of the swing, which increases my chance of hitting it solid with the face square to the target.
I always wanted to play at the highest level. I didn't care what sport it was; I just wanted to play at the highest level.
