"Took me about a year and a half to get to that point”: Will Zalatoris feeling really good about his Golf again after recent injury setbacks
Will Zalatoris said that he was feeling well now with 'no restraints' and that it took him more than a year to reach this point.
After last season being marred with injuries, Zalatoris is set to start his PGA Tour season at the Sony Open in Hawaii, which begins on January 11. Although he made his return to competitive golf at the Hero World Challenge last month, this will be his first official start since the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play last March.
In a recent interview with Golf Injury Report, the 27-year-old golfer reflected on his injury struggles. He said:
So I feel really good. Been playing some really nice golf at home. I think the difference is now that I think I had only had two, three weeks where I was able to play two, three days in a row, and now there is no restraints."
"Took me about a year and a half to get to that point, and there were times where I thought I was 100% where in reality I wasn't 100%. Now I've definitely feel the best I've felt in quite some time."
The Wake Forest alum has had a long battle with injuries in the past two seasons. He first suffered an injury setback in 2022 and had to withdraw from the BMW Championship following his FedEx St. Jude Championship triumph.
After recovering from two herniated discs in his back, Zalatoris returned to the golf course at the Sentry Tournament of Champions last year but could only play seven more events before pulling out of the Masters Tournament in April. He underwent a microdiscectomy later that month and announced the end of his PGA Tour season.
He wrote:
"As much as I hate not being able to play the rest of this season, I am happy that I am already seeing the benefits of the procedure. Playing and living in pain is not fun. I look forward to making a full recovery and seeing everyone in the fall."
Will Zalatoris has had several good results in such a short span of his career. The 2020–21 PGA Tour rookie of the year made eight top-ten finishes that season, including the runner-up finish at the Masters. The following season, he recorded nine top tens, including three runner-up finishes. He missed the PGA Championship title in the playoffs and also registered a runner-up finish at the US Open that season.
Zalatoris is grouped with Keegan Bradley and Eric Cole for the first two rounds at Waialae Country Club and will begin the opening round on Thursday from the tenth tee. After being troubled with injuries for the past one and a half years, the San Francisco native will be hoping to get back to his best this season.
How did Will Zalatoris perform in the 2022–23 season?
Here's a look at Will Zalatoris' results in the 2022–23 PGA Tour season:
- Sentry Tournament of Champions: T11
- The American Express: T36
- Farmers Insurance Open: CUT
- The Genesis Invitational: 4
- Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard: T53
- THE PLAYERS Championship: 73
- World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play: T59
- Masters Tournament: W/D
- Hero World Challenge: 20