Woodland enjoying the ride

Woodland enjoying the ride

Now he's the latest winner on the PGA Tour, gutting out his maiden Tour win in the Transitions Championship last Sunday, where he made just one par on the final nine holes to win by a single stroke. Of course, the victory changed everything for the 26-year-old, 6-1, 210-pound rock who can hit the golf ball from here to Topeka.His travel itinerary Does Cherry Hills Deserve PGA Tour now includes a week at Augusta National for the Masters and a trip to Hawaii next year for the season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions. With his stardom on the ascent, the Tour decided to put him in the featured pairing for the first two rounds of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, beginning Thursday, with Tiger Woods."It's been a great 48 hours, and I'd like to keep it going," Woodland said. "I still have a long way to go. I'm not in all of the majors yet."He's headed in the right direction, however, and defending Arnold Palmer Invitational champion Ernie Els said Woodland is the future of golf.

"I've always played baseball and basketball, playing against older kids growing up. I love that. That's all I'm here for. I'm here for the competition." Woodland said. "You find ways to win when you don't play well. That's what I did on Sunday. I found a way to win when I wasn't playing my best. I attribute all of that to the sports I played growing up.""My course management was horrendous in 2009," Woodland said. "(Smith) told me last week I had to play conservative. I didn't want to do it but I did. It's something I'm learning, and I've got to keep sticking to it."(Fans) love how far you can hit it and they want to see it, it's exciting, and I don't blame anybody for that. But I wanted to prove that I can do more than just hit a golf ball a long way."It just proves that I'm working and doing the right thing."Woodland also has changed his ways off the golf course. He no longer plays basketball, baseball or any other sport.