Will Zalatoris to make his return to golf at 2023 Hero World Challenge after 8 month break due to back surgery
Will Zalatoris has been absent from the professional golf circuit for about eight months due to a back injury. Although he did qualify for the Masters 2023 at the Augusta National Golf Club, he withdrew from the major before it even started. The last tournament he played was the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play 2023 in March where he finished T59 on the leaderboard.
However, with 19 out of the 20 players announced for the upcoming 2023 Hero World Challenge, which includes his name, the 27-year-old American golfer is set to make his comeback to competitive golf at Albany Golf Course in the Bahamas.
Before withdrawing from the Masters 2023, Will Zalatoris was diagnosed with two split discs in his back which required surgery to fix it. He underwent a microdiscectomy on April 8, Saturday, which was a successful one. He was advised by his doctors to take a rest, so he decided to skip the whole 2022-23 PGA Tour season.
Where does Will Zalatoris stand in the Official World Golf Rankings?
The 27-year-old American golfer is currently ranked 29th on the Official World Golf Rankings. His rankings have massively dropped due to his inactive status since March.
Before withdrawing from the 2023 Masters Tournament, Will Zalatoris was ranked eighth in the world. In February at the Genesis Invitational, he placed a career-high seventh in the OWGR.
Here are the tournaments Will Zalatoris played in the 2022-23 PGA Tour season:
- Sentry Tournament of Champions - T11
- The American Express - T36
- Farmers Insurance Open - Missed the Cut
- The Genesis Invitational - 4
- Arnold Palmer Invitational - T53
- The Players Championship - 73
- World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play - T59
Who is in the field of the 2023 Hero World Challenge?
The unofficial PGA Tour event hosted by the 15-time major champion Tiger Woods is scheduled to kick off on November 30 at the Albany Golf Course in the Bahamas.
The tournament officials have announced 19 out of the 20 players who are set to play the 2023 Hero World Challenge. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, defending champion Viktor Hovland, the 2023 Open Championship winner Brian Harman, the 2023 US Open Champion Wyndham Clark, and returning golfer Will Zalatoris will be seen later in November this year.
Eleven of the US Ryder Cup team members will be part of the upcoming Tiger Woods-hosted event. Brooks Koepka is only the one missing out in the field as he was not eligible to play. Meanwhile, three of the European Ryder Cup team are set to play the event at The Bahamas.
Here are the players announced to play the 2023 Hero World Challenge:
- Scottie Scheffler
- Viktor Hovland
- Patrick Cantlay
- Xander Schauffele
- Max Homa
- Matt Fitzpatrick
- Brian Harman
- Wyndham Clark
- Jordan Spieth
- Cameron Young
- Keegan Bradley
- Collin Morikawa
- Tony Finau
- Sam Burns
- Jason Day
- Sepp Straka
- Will Zalatoris
- Justin Thomas
- Rickie Fowler
However, there is still one spot left to be filled. It could be anyone, including host Tiger Woods, who has been missing from professional golf since leaving the Masters 2023 midway due to an ankle injury.