A few seasons ago, it seemed like a major breakthrough was on the horizon for Will Zalatoris. Between the 2020 U.S. Open and the 2022 U.S. Open, Zalatoris amassed six major top-10 finishes in the span of eight tournaments, including a loss in a playoff to Justin Thomas at the 2022 PGA Championship. He then lost by a stroke to Matt Fitzpatrick a month later at the U.S. Open.
Since then, Zalatoris’ career has experienced a rough patch. He suffered a back injury late in 2022 that he exacerbated prior to The Masters in 2023, forcing him to undergo surgery and miss the remainder of that season. Then, after recording a top-10 finish at The Masters in 2024, he has subsequently missed each of his last four major cuts.
Unfortunately, Zalatoris’ journey has hit another snag. Earlier today, he announced via Instagram that he had re-herniated two discs in his back and opted to undergo surgery that will keep him out indefinitely. Although he did not provide a specific injury timeline, he ended his statement with, “Looking forward to seeing everyone in the fall!!”
Zalatoris is a one-time PGA TOUR winner, having triumphed at the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship shortly prior to injuring his back for the first time. During that 2021-22 season, he led the TOUR in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green and was 13th in driving distance. He became one of the world’s best players — peaking at seventh in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) — despite an occasionally balky flat stick. Even despite his back injuries, he had ranked in the top quartile in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green in the early part of the 2025 season and made seven consecutive starts to open his season.
He has withdrawn from several tournaments already this season while managing his back issues, including last week’s Charles Schwab Challenge.
