2026 BMW Championship: ‘Kansas boy’ Gary Woodland jumps out to lead at Bellerive with 64

Gary Woodland couldn’t see his ball go into the hole at the par-4 11th at Bellerive on Thursday but knew something good had just happened based on the crowd’s reaction.

Good has been a consistent theme of 2026 for Woodland, who took down the Texas Children’s Houston Open in April for his first tournament since capturing the U.S. Open crown at Pebble Beach in 2019. That victory came less than a month after Woodland revealed he had been battling post-traumatic stress disorder from undergoing surgery to remove a lesion from his brain.

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“When you see the crowd jump up and down — that’s definitely a bonus,” said Woodland of his eagle hole-out with a sand wedge on No. 11 that sent the BMW Championship crowd into a frenzy.

To say the fans are on Woodland’s side this week — playing a little more than fours hours from his hometown of Tecumseh, Kansas — is an understatement.

He shot a 64 to open the 2018 PGA Championship, the last time Bellerive played host to a Tour event, before finishing T-6.

“18 years on Tour, this is as close as I’ll ever get to home so this is special,” said Woodland, who went into the clubhouse as the tournament leader after posting a 6-under 64. “When it’s on the calendar I look forward to coming back.”

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While happy to be playing in front of family and friends this week and hearing the roars from the gallery, Woodland said there was one thing he wouldn’t be doing — wearing any gold and black, the color’s of the University of Missouri.

In fact, Woodland revealed to reporters Thursday at Bellerive that his team had equipped him with some gold and black clothing — a selection he had to openly reject in favor of something that was more in alignment with “Rock Chalk Jayhawk.”

“Let’s just say there’s a lot more blue in the rest of the week for me with this week,” said Woodland, who started at Washburn University before transferring to the University of Kansas. “Being a Kansas boy, the fans were very nice to me. But I’m a Kansan at heart.”

He told Golf Channel’s Kira Dixon that playing this well in front of friends and family was “icing on the cake.”

How to watch the 2026 BMW Championship at Bellerive Country Club

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The golf world’s attention turns to St. Louis as the top 50 players in the FedExCup standings will battle it out over four days.

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Presidents Cup captain’s assistant

Woodland, who shares the lead in St. Louis with reigning U.S. Open winner Wyndham Clark, was named the fourth and final captain’s assistant for the U.S. Team at the Presidents Cup earlier this week.

He told reporters he’s been speaking to captain Brandt Snedeker throughout the year, after they both served as Ryder Cup vice captains in 2025.

“We talked about it last week in person but we’ve been in contact throughout the whole time,” he said.

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Mistake free until 18

Woodland played mistake free on the first 17 holes of his opening round, bogeying the par-4 18th when his par putt went wide right. He was accurate throughout the day, hitting 17 out of 18 greens in regulation on his way to carding five birdies and the eagle.

He noted that the course’s bigger greens and slopes helped him get him into better position than he expected on a few holes.

“I controlled the distance. I gave myself a lot of opportunities. I left a lot out there as well [but] I’m proud of the way I controlled the ball today,” said Woodland, who entered the week No. 31 in the FedExCup standings but is now projected at No. 12.

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‘Wasn’t on my mind’

If he makes it to East Lake next week, it would be Woodland’s first appearance in the Tour Championship since 2019 — the year he won his only major.

“That’s a goal when you start it up every year — is to get to East Lake. It shows the consistency you’ve had throughout the year,” he said. “But for me, from where I’ve came from and where I’ve been, that would be a big accomplishment.”

It all seemed impossible just eight months ago when Woodland was listing off his goals for the 2026 campaign.

“I can promise you East Lake wasn’t on my mind to start the year,” he said Thursday. “It’s a goal, I think you write it down, but it seemed like far far away. The game’s just continued to grind. I’ve had up-and-down days. I’ve had some rough days lately…

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“I think I got a lot of perspective over the last couple years. I know I’m fighting for a lot more than playing golf. I’m hopefully having a positive impact on a lot of people’s lives just showing up and fighting.”

Woodland shared a story from Memphis, where he was followed by an 11-year-old from New Zealand who was recently diagnoses with an inoperable brain tumor.

“Hopefully I’m having a bigger impact than just showing up and showing that I can still compete and play out here and live my dreams,” he said. “That’s the big deal is I’m struggling and I’m still living my dreams. I hope people see that and try to do the same thing.”

‘Play well or the season’s over’: Justin Thomas responds to playoff pressure with opening-round 67

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Justin Thomas knows there’ll be more golf after the BMW Championship but admitted feeling earlier this week “like it’s the last tournament of my life.”