US Open Champion Gary Woodland surprises Amy on Today Show
Last updated:
Gary Woodland surprised Special Olympian Amy Bockerstette on the Today Show after crediting her with improving his mental attitude on his way to his first major win
Amy Bockerstette and her friendship with Gary Woodland has been one of the most uplifting stories of the year, and today it got even better.
The duo first met on the infamous 16th hole at TPC Sawgrass for the Waste Management Phoenix Open, where Special Olympian Amy impressed everyone with an up-and-down for par, encouraging herself with a chorous of ‘you got this’ before sinking the putt.
Woodland has stayed in touch ever since with Amy, who has down syndrome, and credited her as his inspiration during the final round at Pebble Beach.
“She’s meant everything for me from a mental standpoint,” Woodland said after capturing his maiden major title. “The world needs more of her in it. Her attitude, her love for life, love for the game and her positive energy is so contagious. And I’ve had the pleasure to continue to speak with her.
“Really the only thing you can control — and I said this yesterday. The only thing I can control today is my attitude. My caddie told me, when I got done, it’s the best he’s ever seen my attitude all week. I just tried to control that because that’s really all you can control.
“And Amy’s attitude is phenomenal. That’s something I want to teach my kids, is you have to — positive energy is contagious. And life’s not always going to be bells and whistles. 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 said — Amy told me a million times when we were on this hole I’ve got this, I’ve got this, and I told myself that a million times today, I’ve got this”
Amy was filmed celebrating his victory at home with her parents, and later the two facetimed from the media center as he told her “I used your positive energy.”
Everyone thought that was where the story would end for this major at least, but when Amy and her parents were asked to appear on the Today Show to talk about her friendship with Woodland, he decided to surprise her with a guest appearance – trophy in tow.
“I thought a lot about you on Sunday,” Woodland told Amy in another heartwarming exchange between the pair. “I think about you a lot every day, so thank you.”
