How a Gary Woodland text underscored the power of doing good

On the Subpar podcast, Folds of Honor’s Lt. Col. Dan Rooney explained why a photo sent by Gary Woodland underscored the power of doing good.

The post How a Gary Woodland text underscored the power of doing good appeared first on Golf.

On the Subpar podcast, Folds of Honor’s Lt. Col. Dan Rooney explained why a photo sent by Gary Woodland underscored the power of doing good.

The post How a Gary Woodland text underscored the power of doing good appeared first on Golf.

Since its founding nearly 20 years ago, the charitable organization Folds of Honor has provided some $400 million in educational scholarships to the spouses and children of fallen or disabled military service members and first responders.

Its efforts depend on contributions of all kinds. And many of those contributions come from golf.

On a recent episode of the Subpar podcast, Folds of Honor founder Lt. Col. Dan Rooney talked about one of the organization’s biggest backers: 2019 U.S. Open winner Gary Woodland, who contributes time and money and also wears an apparel brand he co-founded with Rooney.

Woodland, of course, has an inspiring story of his own. Like many golf fans, Rooney watched with tears in his eyes this past March as Woodland capped an extraordinary comeback from brain surgery and post-traumatic stress disorder by winning the Texas Children’s Houston Open.

The victory, Rooney says, struck him as a metaphor for “the peaks and valleys of life.”

Woodland’s comeback has resonated widely. So have his charitable efforts. Rooney talked about the “halo effect” Woodland carries with him by flying the banner for Folds of Honor.

“It’s just awesome,” Rooney said. “I think (Woodland) feels it, too.”

What’s more, Rooney noted, “fans galvanize behind him.”

To illustrate his point, Rooney shared a story about something that took place shortly after Woodland’s Texas win.

The Tour was back in swing, and Woodland was playing in another event when he texted Rooney a photo. It was a picture of a check he’d just received. Not a check for his tournament winnings. A check handed to him directly by a fan, who’d made it out to Folds of Honor. The gesture was so striking, Woodland felt compelled to let his buddy Rooney know about it.

For Rooney, the moment doubled as a profound reminder.

“That’s the irony,” he said. “When you’re doing good, ultimately you’re the one being helped.”

You can listen to the complete interview with Rooney here, or watch on YouTube below.

The post How a Gary Woodland text underscored the power of doing good appeared first on Golf.