Will Zalatoris set to return to competitive action next week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational
Will Zalatoris was out of competitive activity for a good part of the 2023 season due to injury. However, he has returned with good results and this has allowed him to be among the best players in the circuit again.
The player announced this Wednesday, February 28, his commitment to play the Arnold Palmer Invitational next week. This is the fourth Signature Event of the season for which Will Zalatoris qualified in his own right.
Will Zalatoris played The Genesis Invitational, thanks to one of the four Sponsor's Exemptions. He took advantage of the opportunity very well, as he finished T2 and earned 375 FedEx Cup points, which propelled him to 25th on the season's Fed Ex Cup rankings.
The 2024 PGA Tour Signature Events qualifying system includes the "Aon Next 10" category, consisting of the top 10 FedEx Cup players from the current season, who qualify for the event (not exempt otherwise). Will Zalatoris is included in this category following his result at The Genesis.
Another important outcome of his performance in Riviera is that it took him to 32nd place in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). If he stays in the Top 50, he will have a guaranteed spot in The Masters 2024.
The 2024 will be Will Zalatoris' fourth start at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. His best result came in his first participation (T10 in 2010). A year later he finished T38 and the previous season he fell to T53.
Will Zalatoris' 2024 season at a glance
Will Zalatoris started the season at the Sony Open in Hawaii, where he made his first cut of the year after scoring 76 and 69 in the first two rounds. He then started at the American Express, where he made the cut and finished T34 and scored 18 under.
A week later, Zalatoris played the Farmers Insurance Open and was on the verge of his first Top 10s of the season. He finished T13 with a score of 8 under. At The Genesis Invitational, Zalatoris had his best result of the season so far. At Riviera, he finished T2 with a score of 14 under.
Zalatoris has played 14 rounds so far in the 2024 season, and he has posted scores in the 60s in 10 of them. His best rounds to date have been the third round of The American Express and the third round of The Genesis Invitational, as he scored 65 in both.
Zalatoris withdrew from The Masters in 2023 due to back pain. He had been suffering from a herniated disc since August 2022 and rushed his recovery to start the season on time.
Less than 48 hours after leaving Augusta National, Zalatoris underwent a microdiscectomy to repair the damage to his spine. He vowed not to advance his recovery again and this led to him being out of competitive golf until he returned in December to play in the Hero World Challenge.