"T" = tied 7 World Ranking. They checked with Smith, who confirmed it was touching the line. Thats the most recent tournament he completed before injury struck, and its a feeling hes keen to recapture. Zalatoris ultimately fell one shot short of Matsuyama and finished in solo second place, good for a payday of $1,242,000. But in the name of avoiding future injury, hes working through the proverbial process. Will Zalatoris' fiancee asked him one of the biggest deal-breaker The former Wake Forest star and 2014 U.S. He admittedly got bored quickly with his recovery routine. It ended up being the second PGA Tour event of his career he earned a spot in the field of the 2015 Northern Trust by winning a collegiate showcase. "This course is where every shot you hit you're on the edge of your seat," Straka said. At seventh in the Presidents Cup points standings, he likely would have been among the six captain's choices for the team. 121, knowing that only the top 70 advance to the next tournament. Will Zalatoris after his missed putt on the . "He is also very disappointed that he will not have the opportunity to play in next month's Presidents Cup, where he was hoping to play for Captain [Davis] Love and represent the United States," Zalatoris' agent, Allen Hobbs, said in a statement. Will Zalatoris withdraws from Tour Championship, will also not play in This is the best of the best, Zalatoris said Tuesday ahead of the tournament. Much like fellow 25-year-old DFW golf star Scottie Scheffler (who was born in New Jersey but moved to the Metroplex when he was in elementary school), Zalatoris was born outside of the Lone Star State but moved to Texas as a youngster and thrived in the local golf scene. Zalatoris is making his first start since withdrawing from the BMW Championship in August. "Playing the cutline is one of the toughest things in golf. For the first time in 138 days, Will Zalatoris will play a PGA Tour event this week at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Critics say new PGA Tour events copy LIV. He became the first player to be voted Rookie of the Year without having a card in 20 years (Charles Howell III did so in 2001). Back from injury, Will Zalatoris reveals swing fix that took stress off Zalatoris was born in San Francisco, California, but his family moved to the Dallas, Texas, area . They examined the pressures of his swing, concluding a motor pattern was the root cause of the strain on his back. MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The 10-foot par putt in regulation was so crucial and the moment so important that Will Zalatoris doesn't remember screaming out when he made it, "What are they gonna say now?". Zalatoris doesn't enter the final round with any cushion because the same club that's troubled him in the early stages of his career can still be a nuisance. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Suddenly the close-call narrative was put to bed he memorably exclaimed, What are they gonna say now! upon draining a par putt on the 72nd hole to force a playoff with Sepp Straka at TPC Southwind. Lucas Glover came away with a consolation prize. Zalatoris is no longer the best on the PGA Tour without a victory. Hes also changed his setup to help fix some of his motor pattern issues that may have caused his injury. The couple, who have been dating for a long time, announced their engagement back in April 2021 and have since been very vocal about their relationship. But his speed has remained the same as it was from last year when he finished 13th in driving distance on Tour at 314.7 yards a pop. Be a little more centered, as opposed to having ball forward with more spine tilt at address, Zalatoris said. And I do it later than a lot of guys, so what that does for someone with a lot of side bend is that gets my right hip high and on my spines tilted back, and so as Dr. Rose said, duh, no wonder I had a back issue.. An MRI revealed that Zalatoris, 26, had two herniated disks. [11] He followed it up with a T8 at the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship, and secured Special Temporary Member status after the Bermuda Championship in early November. Zalatoris has played just 40 holes since his thrilling playoff with Straka in the opening event of this years FedExCup Playoffs. Will and Caitlin stood on stairs decorated with green leaves and flowers, making an arc above their heads on an olive-colored wall. He had attended every Nelson since he was 9 years old. Being in contention as much as I was last year, theres just no better feeling than it, Zalatoris said Tuesday. Smith was given a two-shot penalty when rules officials realized upon review that when he took a penalty drop in the third round, the ball was still touching the red hazard line. Claims victory in first FedExCup Playoffs event before advancing to BMW Championship, Will Zalatoris new driver before Genesis Scottish Open, For all other business inquiries please contact Allen Hobbs: ahobbs@playersgroupmanagement.com, Our Address: Players Group Management Fan Mail - Will Zalatoris1800 Alexander Bell DriveSuite 200 Reston, VA 20191. Tyler Lauletta. After years of dating, the couple finally tied the knot and shared the good news with Will's 256K Instagram followers. The comparisons got so mainstream that even Adam Sandler, star of Happy Gilmore, tweeted Zalatoris during the 2021 Masters and joined the fray. The Korn Ferry trademark is also a registered trademark, and is used in the Korn Ferry Tour logo with permission. Will Zalatoris WDs from British Open after feeling 'tingling' in his leg during first round. Be the first one to comment on this story. The growing legend of Will Zalatoris - The Athletic I realized I dont need to be on the range for hours; I need to play. Also moving into the top 70 were Adam Scott, Andrew Putnam and Wyndham Clark, who had reason to think he had thrown away his chances when he played a four-hole stretch in 4-over par and had to save par on the 18th for a 72. Zalatoris looked to be in trouble from a fairway bunker on the 18th in regulation until he made that 10-footer for par at a 4-under 66. Wills strong play continued and he finished in 2nd place at the 2021 Masters Tournament, one stroke behind the champion. Zalatoris moves into the top 10 in the world for the first time and takes the No. He was born in San Francisco, and growing up he spent his formative golf years playing at the outstanding California Golf Club with his Dad. Will Zalatoris has dealt with his share of anguish in an otherwise impressive PGA Tour season. For the first time in 138 days, Will Zalatoris will play a PGA Tour event this week at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. He didnt exactly take it easy during his time off. "The first three local golfers pictured: 16-year-old Jordan Spieth, 13-year-old Will Zalatoris and 13-year-old Scottie Scheffler.They turned out OK. pic.twitter.com/bp5TlirfkB. Im always available for you, Mr. Gilmore., If youre ever in need of a caddie again let me know. He hasnt been in a film in nearly 20 years, according to his imdb page. British Open: Will Zalatoris WD's after feeling 'tingling' in his leg He lost to Justin Thomas in a playoff in the PGA Championship at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma. [14], In May 2022, Zalatoris finished second in a major championship for the second time. While Zalatoris isnt the biggest guy on tour hes listed by the PGA Tour at 6-foot-2, 175 lbs he said hes still largely avoided back injuries throughout his career, save one instance in July 2021. During the hiatus, Zalatoris spent time with Greg Rose, a Doctor of Chiropractic at the Titleist Performance Institute, conducting an assessment with the goal of promoting career longevity. A 24-year-old American golfer who isn't even on the PGA Tour yet won $1.2 million at the Masters and is reveling in his newfound fame. Spieths first tee shot flared right, but he scrambled to save par. He was captain of his high school golf team and still *tries* to remain competitive in local amateurs. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is 2020 graduate of Penn State University, earning degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. He is on a lifelong quest to break 80 on a course that exceeds 6,000 yards and to see the Buffalo Bills win a Super Bowl. Will picked up his first professional victory in 2020 at the TPC Colorado Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour. Junior finalists to roommates", "Will Zalatoris Named ACC Player of the Year", "Will Zalatoris, a former Wake Forest star, hitting his stride on the Korn Ferry Tour", "Will Zalatoris wrote his caddie a check for the winner's share, then went and won", "U.S. Open: Will Zalatoris makes hole-in-one, almost does it again later in round", "Will Zalatoris surpasses KFT season earnings with U.S. Open T-6", "Golfer Will Zalatoris is PGA Tour rookie of the year", "Will Zalatoris shoots 61 to share lead at Sanderson Farms", "Luke List beats Will Zalatoris in a playoff at Farmers Insurance Open for first PGA Tour win", "Thomas wins 2nd PGA title in playoff after 7-shot rally", "Will Zalatoris comes up short at U.S. Open, his third runner-up finish at a major: 'I'm going to keep knocking on the door', "Will Zalatoris gets 1st PGA Tour win in playoff at Memphis", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Will_Zalatoris&oldid=1126465827, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 2017 General Hackler Championship, Rod Myers Invitational, Most consecutive cuts made 4 (2022 Masters - 2022 Open Championship, current), This page was last edited on 9 December 2022, at 13:40. Zalatoris breakthrough at Augusta was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to strong showings at major championships. Im more efficient in my golf swing -- so thats why the speed is the same with the shorter driver; its just because of the efficiency now of how I push into a golf ball.. It was there that Zalatoris, a 24-year-old upstart that was playing in Korn Ferry Tour events just six months earlier, found himself battling it out with Hideki Matsuyama and fellow DFW product Jordan Spieth for a green jacket. He is set to return pretty soon. The winner of the FedEx Cup championship receives $18 million. As Dr. Rose said, duh, no wonder I had a back issue, Zalatoris quipped. Scott Bell, Breaking News Editor. Will and family moved to Dallas, Texas when he was 9 years old and he began working hard on his game while competing in top junior tournaments. Will Zalatoris and Caitlin Sellers are considered among the most beautiful couples in the sports world. Oops! The first event of 2023 also could be Will Zalatoris first start since August. Zalatoris was four shots off the lead at Wilmington (Del.) He can be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com. He actually learned the way he generated power could have led to the back issues in the first place. He finished second in two majors this year, losing a playoff to Justin Thomas at the PGA Championship and narrowly missing a birdie putt on the 72nd hole of the U.S. Open that would have tied him with Fitzpatrick. Heading into the PGA Championship, Zalatoris had four top-10 finishes in his first seven career major championship appearances. And after all of those adjustments, Zalatoris and his teams fears of making changes to a swing that has already racked up six major top-10s in three years were unwarranted. Szokol opens with 64, up 3 shots in Singapore, More PGA Tour changes: No cuts, smaller fields, Rahm sought Tiger's advice on staying No. Zalatoris led the TOUR last season in Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green, after ranking No. Get the latest D-FW sports news, analysis, scores and more. I spent some time with Dr. Greg Rose at [the Titleist Performance Institute], he said. Impact Zalatoris played in his first tournament since tweaking his back at the BMW Championship in August. Zalatoris sat atop the FedExCup standings after winning the FedEx St. Jude Championship, but he had to withdraw early in the third round of the following weeks BMW Championship. Will and Caitlin have been dating each other since they met in 2018 at Wake Forest College. Country Club when Zalatoris was being worked on by a PGA Tour physiotherapist on the 5th tee before ultimately deciding the pain was too much. Will Zalatoris Will Never Be Satisfied With Second Place - The New York We basically kind of went through a whole assessment of seeing where Im at and it was really I think keeping longevity in mind as opposed to anything else. $14,217,888 Career Earnings. PGA: Mexican food, 'veg time' for Will Zalatoris, caddie - Golfweek ), PGA Tour makes big changes to 2024 designated events, including smaller fields and no cuts, 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational tee times: Round 1 groupings for Thursday. Zalatoris didnt end up winning the hardware that year, but he did hoist the trophy a few years later. Will Zalatoris' Masters run not a surprise to Tony Romo - New York Post The breakthrough: Will Zalatoris survives bizarre, thrilling playoff to Caitlin has changed her last name to Zalatoris on her Instagram account. This week is a limited-field tournanment with only last years winners and Tour Championship qualifiers. Will Zalatoris is set to make his first TOUR start since the BMW Championship last August. Szokol opens with 64, up 3 shots in Singapore, More PGA Tour changes: No cuts, smaller fields, Rahm sought Tiger's advice on staying No. Zalatoris, 26, hasn't teed it up since withdrawing during the third. PGA Tour: Will Zalatoris made LIV Golf look like dumbest thing ever 3. Mr. Gilmore is watching you and very proud., Zalatoris handled it with good humor, responding to Sandler by saying If youre ever in need of a caddie again let me know. I feel really good with everything, Zalatoris said. Will Zalatoris Won $1.2 Million at the Masters Despite Not Having His pic.twitter.com/qtEj1JyZdL. Among his eight top-10s are three runners-up, including at two majorsthe PGA Championship and U.S . [15], In June 2022, Zalatoris had another second place in a major championship. The Wake Forest alum has been a premier ball-striker for four consecutive seasons in TOUR-sanctioned competition, and he admits its not natural inclination to want to change anything. "Considering where Sepp was and he had 4 feet for 5, there's no reason for me to try that shot and make it bank right into the grass and go back in the water and all of a sudden I've lost the golf tournament," Zalatoris said. British Open champion Cameron Smith could have replaced Scheffler by winning and arrived at the TPC Southwind two shots out of the lead. So it was actually kind of a nice fix.. Luckily for Zalatoris, Nelson organizers honored the exemption the following year and he made the start as a 19 year old. 7 the season prior. Zalatoris may be an only child, but he still has a big brother. Thats the title he has reserved for former Cowboys QB Tony Romo. For the time being, Zalatoris said hes using a 44.75-inch driver shaft, down an inch and a quarter from his former 46-inch gamer. Zalatoris called the process the "easiest 15 pounds [he's] ever put on." . One wrote: There was a slew of hundreds of comments from Will Zalatoris's family, friends, and fans congratulating him on the start of the new chapter of his life. Spieth was three grades ahead of them growing up, but the three found themselves clashing on the junior circuit quite often. PGA:How to watch|ESPN+ streaming|Leaderboard|Saturday tee times. Zalatoris had honors, but his shot was in trouble immediately. He played his fourth shot out to 4 feet as Zalatoris was still going over his options. Before joining GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but also producing, anchoring and even presenting the weather. Zalatoris notches first PGA Tour victory in playoff, A battle for No. Results not in chronological order before 2019 and in 2020. A month before his Masters breakthrough in 2021, Zalatoris was surprised by Romo with a congratulatory message for qualifying for The PLAYERS Championship. Watching some of my friends play, going to the Presidents Cup, kind of keeping my mind active and spending some time with the guys back home, even just riding around in a cart when they were playing, Zalatoris described his downtime, keep my mind active, even though my body wouldnt let me. Aiming for his first PGA Tour win, Zalatoris might make the 2022 PGA Championship his first title. He tried to play through the injury but withdrew on the next hole. https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2022/05/21/will-zalatoris-mexican-food-veg-time-caddie-ryan-goble-2022-pga-championship/, Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic islands, Central America, Top 50 Classic Courses in Great Britain & Ireland, Top 50 Modern Courses in Great Britain & Ireland, led or co-led the tournament through 36 holes. It brought me back to being a kid. Will Zalatoris watches his putt on the 9th. He was the 36-hole leader at the 2022 PGA Championship before ultimately falling short of his first major championship after losing to Justin Thomas in a three-hole playoff. Will Zalatoris spent his weekend on the greens, but not the one he's used to. He even married his longtime sweetheart, Caitlin. Zalatoris took a while to collect his first PGA Tour win, but his rookie year was one for the ages. Will Zalatoris' Girlfriend & Family: 5 Fast Facts | Heavy.com Zalatoris was voted PGA Tour Rookie of the Year for the 202021 season. Here are 10 things to know about Zalatoris: Most golf fans introduction to Zalatoris was during the 2021 Masters. "We're talking inches," he says. I love you., A post shared by Will Zalatoris (@willzalatoris). Will Zalatoris finished second at the Masters in his first time playing Augusta National. Zalatoris entered Augusts BMW Championship in the advantageous No. Amateur, when Zalatoris qualified as a 12 year old and competed as a 13 year old, alongside Scheffler and Spieth. The shutdown simplified things.. Instead, it looks like the Sentry Tournament of Champions could be the site of his return. Junior Amateur champion announced his engagement to girlfriend Caitlin Sellers, also a Demon Deacon, with a series of pictures on Instagram back in April of 2021. [7] With no status in 2019, Zalatoris relied on Monday qualifying and sponsor exemptions to play in Korn Ferry Tour events. 1 player strokes gained tee to green this past year, or at least approach, to want to go in and say, hey, you need to make some changes. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Amateur Championship titled "Junior talent flourishing on national scale. Not really. He also set the individual scoring average of 70.44 at Wake Forest University. [9] The win moved him to the leader on the Korn Ferry Tour points list and qualified him for the U.S. Open at Winged Foot. Copyright 2023 PGA TOUR, Inc. All rights reserved. WD = withdrew Will Zalatoris has been struggling with a back injury since August. That issue was muscular, not structural like the current one, so it kind of came out of the blue, he said. The shorter driver allows him more time to bring a potential right miss back on line, he said. Oosthuizen is teetering on the brink of missing three majors in 2023. How Will Zalatoris bulked up and added 12 yards of carry to his - Golf So Im trying to get more centered over it and work more around my right side, so more of a turn as opposed to kind of a lateral shift, because like I said, when my right hip gets high and the spine tilts back, youre now all of a sudden creating all that stress on your back. Zalatoris told Golf Digest I was lucky. At the time, Zalatoris was leading the FedEx Cup after capturing his first PGA Tour win a week earlier in Memphis. Its the PGA TOURs first designated event of 2023, with 17 of the top 20 players on the Official World Golf Ranking set to compete at the Plantation Course at Kapalua. The highlights of the season came when he finished 2nd at both the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open, then capped off an exceptional season with his first PGA Tour victory at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Zalatoris was born in 1996 on the 16th of August. He even had his favorite spot right off the 18th hole where hed strategically place himself to get autographs from his favorite players. But those battles started long before they were competing for millions on golfs grandest stage. Besides him, Will Zalatoris' fans showered their blessings on the couple. William Patrick Zalatoris (born August 16, 1996) is an American professional golfer. Fitzpatrick made his first PGA TOUR win a major, claiming the U.S. Open at the same venue where he won the U.S.