Thats the most recent tournament he completed before injury struck, and its a feeling hes keen to recapture. 27 in the Official World Golf Rankings. Aiming for his first PGA Tour win, Zalatoris might make the 2022 PGA Championship his first title. Zalatoris who grew up in San Francisco, got his start in golf as a youth at the California Golf Club, went to college at Wake Forest and now makes his home in Texas combines the perfect . 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 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. Being in contention as much as I was last year, theres just no better feeling than it, Zalatoris said Tuesday. An MRI revealed that Zalatoris, 26, had two herniated disks. Zalatoris, 26, hasnt teed it up since withdrawing during the third round of the BMW Championship in August with what turned out to be two herniated discs in his back. Will Zalatoris watches his putt on the 9th. Musician Gryffin congratulated the golfer in the comments section. The shutdown simplified things.. Junior Amateur title in 2014. The two have been together for more than four years now after meeting at Wake Forest college in late 2018. He came shot consistently all weekend, shooting a 69 in each round Thursday- Saturday. Our crew of Davis Riley, Kevin Dougherty and Tony Romo played money games five days a week for four months. Copyright 2023 PGA TOUR, Inc. All rights reserved. They checked with Smith, who confirmed it was touching the line. That issue was muscular, not structural like the current one, so it kind of came out of the blue, he said. Please logout and login again. "I am beyond disappointed," he . Zalatoris has played just 40 holes since his thrilling playoff with Straka in the opening event of this years FedExCup Playoffs. Tyler Lauletta. Zalatoris experienced a string of close calls last year - namely six top-six finishes in an eight-event stretch, including runner-up finishes at the PGA Championship and U.S. Open - before his. Will Zalatoris found the end of Netflix.. Zalatoris won't be replaced in the 30-man field at East Lake and will receive a $500,000 bonus. College career [ edit] Zalatoris was born in San Francisco, California. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is 2020 graduate of Penn State University, earning degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. Zalatoris won on the third playoff hole. That included events like the 2009 U.S. It took three playoff holes to get the answer on Sunday in the FedEx St. Jude Championship, and it was more along the lines of what they won't say. The Korn Ferry trademark is also a registered trademark, and is used in the Korn Ferry Tour logo with permission. [16], On August 14, 2022, Zalatoris won his first PGA Tour event, winning the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee on the third playoff hole against Sepp Straka. So it was actually kind of a nice fix.. Like Spieth and Scheffler, Zalatoris received the opportunity to play in the AT&T Byron Nelson as a teenager through a sponsors exemption. Zalatoris is making his first start since withdrawing from the BMW Championship in August. GOLF.com and GOLF Magazine are published by EB GOLF MEDIA LLC, a division of 8AM GOLF, Back from injury, Will Zalatoris reveals swing fix that took stress off his back, What is Jim Nantzs career lowlight? Let him tell you about adult film, Its f hard: Jon Rahm comes back to Earth at brutal Bay Hill. Lucas Glover came away with a consolation prize. During Zalatoris rehab process, his routine might have looked like have a few putts and then maybe need to go grab a few beers with my boys. But hes an unabashed golf addict who will eagerly play four or five events in a row. "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. He has competed primarily on the PGA Tour, where he has won once, at the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship . He shared the good news via his official Instagram page on December 13. Ive learned a lot about my body, probably more than I think I ever wanted to, Zalatoris said Tuesday afternoon in Hawaii. After a short visit and numerous stretches, Zalatoris decided to withdraw from the event. I feel really good with everything, Zalatoris said. 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. He even had his favorite spot right off the 18th hole where hed strategically place himself to get autographs from his favorite players. Will Zalatoris WDs from British Open after feeling 'tingling' in his leg during first round. However, the Sentry Tournament of Champions recently announced that Zalatoris is expected in the field for the event in early January. At the U.S. Open, he aced the par-3 seventh hole during the first round, very nearly replicating it six holes later,[10] and tied for sixth place, at five-over par, alongside world number one Dustin Johnson; it was his first top-10 finish in a major championship. He was captain of his high school golf team and still *tries* to remain competitive in local amateurs. TULSA, Okla. Will Zalatoris is looking to keep the Southern Hills major streak alive. 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. Whenever we maybe mention something that you maybe want to change, I think all of us kind of had some red flags go up. 1 spot in the FedEx Cup, assuring him a reasonable shot at the $18 million prize in two weeks. As Dr. Rose said, duh, no wonder I had a back issue, Zalatoris quipped. Zalatoris, the ninth-ranked player in the Official World Golf Ranking, also won't compete in next month's Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina, his agent announced on Twitter. Zalatoris' rise presents a confluence of charmed bliss and valuable struggle. 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. I think Ive just been so close so many times, so I think, if anything, after having the time off, its kind of hard to remind myself of all the second places.. He . Wake Forest University College. Ill be better this time. Sandler tweeted Have fun today young man. Zalatoris breakthrough at Augusta was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to strong showings at major championships. 34 and has a good chance of being part of the top 30 who go to the Tour Championship to play for that $18 million first prize. Will Zalatoris withdrew from The 149th Open Championship on Friday, citing a back injury suffered while hitting out of heavy rough late in his opening-round 69. I love you., On Tuesday, also via Instagram, Zalatoris posted a photo of the happy couple with the caption, Cant wait to spend the rest of my life with my best friend. [2] He attended Wake Forest University in North Carolina, and was named ACC Player of the Year in 2017. 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. "T" = Tied He then withdrew from the following weeks TOUR Championship, finishing a disappointing 30th in the FedExCup after entering the week at No. Its also the first of the PGA Tours new elevated events, with a $15 million purse. But. CUT = missed the half-way cut Straka followed with a shot that also hit the bank, took one bounce off the rocks and went into the water. But I think the big thing for me is we spent a lot of time understanding the pressures of my golf swing and understanding how I push off my right side. A feat that would soon eclipsed by his performance at Augusta a month later, but was at the time a career highlight: First PLAYERS.Surprise messages from family and friends. The first event of 2023 also could be Will Zalatoris' first start since August. "We're talking inches," he says. Spoiler alert: It's yet to be announced, but the course is almost certain to be added as the 2041 Ryder Cup site. After years of dating, the couple finally tied the knot and shared the good news with Will's 256K Instagram followers. He had a 25-foot putt for the win on the 18th on the first playoff hole and had to make a 7-footer the second time around to stay in the game. Friday night, The Caddie Networks John Rathouz caught up with the caddie for Zalatoris, Ryan Goble, who was enjoying some veg time after a dinner of Mexican food in Tulsa. It made us all really sharp. "Considering all those close finishes, it means a lot.". Nevertheless, his first win would not be an easy one. Scott Bell, Breaking News Editor. I basically am trying to get more, be a little bit more centered as opposed to having kind of ball forward with more spine tilt at address, he said. Was all but a lock to make roster as a captains pick, begging the question of who will replace him, How Will Zalatoris turned his putter into a strength. Meanwhile, No. pic.twitter.com/qtEj1JyZdL. Spieth was three grades ahead of them growing up, but the three found themselves clashing on the junior circuit quite often. Id go to the course, carrying my bag, playing with my buddies, just trying to beat the crap out of each other. He spent much of his teenage golfing years playing junior tournaments in Texas alongside his friend Jordan Spieth. 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. "It's hard to say, 'About time,' when it's your second year on tour, but it's about time," Zalatoris said. Will Zalatoris finished second at the Masters in his first time playing Augusta National. Zalatoris just missed earning one of the six automatic spots on the U.S. team for the Presidents Cup. He played his fourth shot out to 4 feet as Zalatoris was still going over his options. The comparisons got so mainstream that even Adam Sandler, star of Happy Gilmore, tweeted Zalatoris during the 2021 Masters and joined the fray. Kevin Prise is an associate editor for PGATOUR.COM. Amateur Championship titled "Junior talent flourishing on national scale. Caitlin has changed her last name to Zalatoris on her Instagram account. Not only was he among four players who moved into the top 70, he now is at No. Zalatoris took a while to collect his first PGA Tour win, but his rookie year was one for the ages. Zalatoris' first professional victory came in July 2020, when he narrowly won the TPC Colorado Championship by one stroke. Let him tell you about adult film, 'It's f----- hard': Jon Rahm comes back to Earth at brutal Bay Hill, How to watch the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational on Friday: Round 2 TV schedule, streaming, One of the worst things to happen: Pro rants after PGA Tour change, 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational tee times: Round 2 groupings for Friday, How to watch the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational on Thursday: Round 1 TV schedule, streaming, 5 ways the PGA Tour just got better (and 3 ways it got worse! Will Zalatoris is a rising star on the PGA Tour who has three top-10 finishes in the . Zalatoris experienced a string of close calls last year namely six top-six finishes in an eight-event stretch, including runner-up finishes at the PGA Championship and U.S. Open before his breakthrough victory at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Im always available for you, Mr. Gilmore. He can be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com. Find classes that best matches your needs. He finished the season ranked #1 in SG: Approach and #1 SG: Tee-to-Green. At the time, Zalatoris was leading the FedEx Cup after capturing his first PGA Tour win a week earlier in Memphis. Amateur, when Zalatoris qualified as a 12 year old and competed as a 13 year old, alongside Scheffler and Spieth. He entered Sunday in a logjam for second at 7 under, four shots back of Matsuyama. Zalatoris was born in San Francisco, California, but his family moved to the Dallas, Texas, area . Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. If that doesnt sound like a household name to you, dont worry. Team. Clearly ready to end the first-timers . Junior Amateur title in 2014. But in the name of avoiding future injury, hes working through the proverbial process. At the FedEx St. Jude Championships, Zalatoris entered a three-hole playoff vs. Sepp Straka that could have very well swung Strakas way had some balls bounced differently. [15], In June 2022, Zalatoris had another second place in a major championship. He is set to return pretty soon. The two played golf nearly every day during the pandemic at Bent Tree or Carrolltons Maridoe Golf Club, formerly Columbian Country Club. But the speeds the same, everything feels really good.. He didnt exactly take it easy during his time off. Im more efficient in my golf swing, he said. Will Zalatoris. Results not in chronological order before 2019 and in 2020. 121, knowing that only the top 70 advance to the next tournament. He got treatment on the course but withdrew on the next hole when the pain did not subside. After sustaining a back injury in the first round of the 149th British Open, Will Zalatoris has withdrawn from his debut at the championship. https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2022/12/14/will-zalatoris-gets-married-caitlin-sellers-tournament-of-champions/, Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic islands, Central America, Top 50 Classic Courses in Great Britain & Ireland, Top 50 Modern Courses in Great Britain & Ireland, announced his engagement to girlfriend Caitlin Sellers, Zalatoris suffered a back injury on the third hole, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. PGA TOUR players on Scottie Schefflers breakout season. 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. 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. In Texas, we couldnt practice, but we could play. It was quite the scene at Wilmington (Del.) Zalatoris called the process the "easiest 15 pounds [he's] ever put on." . Zalatoris notches first PGA Tour victory in playoff, A battle for No. Will Zalatoris, who had the most money and the best world ranking of anyone without a PGA Tour victory, won the FedEx St. Jude Championship without making birdie in a three-hole playoff on Sunday . He had to sit out the Presidents Cup but did appear on-site to cheer on the U.S. Will Zalatoris is looking to keep the Southern Hills major streak alive. Born in San Francisco, California, Will Zalatoris was introduced to the game early on playing with his parents at California Golf Club. "That was another good step for Will," said . Spieths first tee shot flared right, but he scrambled to save par. At seventh in the Presidents Cup points standings, he likely would have been among the six captain's choices for the team. Glover closed with a 66 and wound up in a tie for third. NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic. Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship, The Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship, "Zalatoris, Riley progress from U.S. Zalatoris led the TOUR last season in Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green, after ranking No. The Plano alum walked down the aisle with his long-term girlfriend, Caitlin Sellers, who has been his best friend. Straka went to the drop zone, and his wedge went into the back bunker. 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. How much "louder" will LIV Golf get in its second season? Impact Zalatoris played in his first tournament since tweaking his back at the BMW Championship in August. 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. September 14, 2022 4:18 pm ET Will Zalatoris had quite the year. 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. Through it all, he managed to keep his nerve and the dry streak Zalatoris had been enduring since 2018 finally came to an end with one final putt. William Patrick Zalatoris (born August 16, 1996) is an American professional golfer. Spieth then birdied six of the next eight holes for a 29 on his way to a course-record 63. Among his eight top-10s are three runners-up, including at two majorsthe PGA Championship and U.S . Zalatoris had honors, but his shot was in trouble immediately. Besides him, Will Zalatoris' fans showered their blessings on the couple. 1. Will Zalatoris has been nursing a bad back since the FedEx Cup playoffs, but he found an important way to fill his schedule between starts by tying the knot. Willy Z is FINALLY a winner on the PGA Tour pic.twitter.com/p02shNTaK2. [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. Now, hes back, and at another big-time event. 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. He got married in December but also spent much of the time rehabbing. 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. Your login session has expired. Zalatoris took that attitude all the way to the final group on Saturday. Mark Wahlberg pours tequila for fans at Dallas restaurant during thunderstorm, 12 Dallas-Fort Worth restaurants that have closed in 2023, Dallas Cowboys focused on adding another dynamic offensive weapon, UIL boys basketball playoffs (4A/3A): Faith Family stays composed; Carter finds rhythm. ATLANTA -- Will Zalatoris, who picked up his first PGA Tour victory two weeks ago, has withdrawn from the season-ending Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club because of two herniated disks in his back. 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. At seventh in the Presidents Cup points standings, he likely would have been among the six . The Tour Championship field at East Lake will fall to 29 and the starting strokes for other players in the field will not be affected. 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. He teed off at 2:50 p.m. He has suffered two herniated discs and has been away from the game. Zalatoris ultimately fell one shot short of Matsuyama and finished in solo second place, good for a payday of $1,242,000. They examined the pressures of his swing, concluding a motor pattern was the root cause of the strain on his back. Zalatoris, 24, played in Saturday's final round alongside Justin Rose. At the end of the 2021 season, Zalatoris was named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year an accomplishment nobody would have expected at the start of the year, given the fact that Zalatoris didnt even had a PGA Tour card. Now having finally collected a Tour win, Zalatoris will enter the top 10 in the world for the first time, further solidifying him as one of golfs rising stars. Fitzpatrick made his first PGA TOUR win a major, claiming the U.S. Open at the same venue where he won the U.S. But as Nelson week grew closer, those feelings the teenager were experiencing werent butterflies they were pains from an inflamed appendix. The first event of 2023 also could be Will Zalatoris first start since August. "Playing the cutline is one of the toughest things in golf. Zalatoris didnt end up winning the hardware that year, but he did hoist the trophy a few years later. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Caitlin and Will got married in an intimate ceremony earlier this week. And then Smith was four shots back without hitting a shot. Oosthuizen is teetering on the brink of missing three majors in 2023. Player Profile: Birthplace. Will Zalatoris has withdrawn from the TOUR Championship with two herniated discs in his back. Get the latest D-FW sports news, analysis, scores and more. ET in the final group with Mito Pereira. Zalatoris is among a notable list of first-time TOUR winners who have committed to the Sentry Tournament of Champions, which will be played Jan. 5-8 at The Plantation Course at Kapalua on the Hawaiian island of Maui. 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. William Patrick Zalatoris (born August 16, 1996) is an American professional golfer. Zalatoris shot 1-under 69 on Thursday, but on the 15th hole he drove into the thick rough. The former Trinity Christian Academy-Addison star is one of the top American golfers less than two years removed from grinding on the Korn Ferry Tour. He lost to Justin Thomas in a playoff in the PGA Championship at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Critics say new PGA Tour events copy LIV. Special moment for @WillZalatoris.pic.twitter.com/4ks8CzchhY. Zalatoris wanted to make swing changes to prevent an injury like this one from happening again. He previously worked for the DMN sports department from 2010-2022, where he served as SportsDay's lead digital strategist and oversaw coverage of college sports, HS sports, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars, soccer and golf. But the speeds the same; everything feels really good. Zalatoris came close to sending the U.S. Open to a playoff on Sunday, only to finish disappointed once again. It brought me back to being a kid. Shortly after his second-place finish at Augusta, Zalatoris proposed to his long-time girlfriend Caitlin Sellers. Zalatoris. "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. Born in San Francisco, California, Will Zalatoris was introduced to the game early on playing with his parents at California Golf Club. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. That top finish, along with a number of others, secured him Special Temporary Member status on the PGA Tour which allowed him to accept unlimited sponsor exemptions for the 2020-2021 season. Back in 2015, he finished T4 at the Pacific Coast Amateur shortly after returning from an emergency appendectomy. This one could have gone either way, a playoff that featured three penalty drops in three holes, neither player making birdie and Zalatoris winning on the par-3 11th with a bogey. It was actually nice because I was able to bring the ball flight down, which, I mean, I know living in Texas youre used to hitting the ball low, but its doing it by itself as opposed to having to manipulate it. Weve looked at everything I was doing, to make sure I was doing all the right things and we were checking all the boxes, and it was strictly a motor pattern thing, said Zalatoris, who has opted to temporarily decrease his driver length (to approximately 44.75 inches, down from 46 inches) as he works through the setup change. The train of the wedding dress was spread over the stairs while she was holding white flowers in her hand. We believe she is now a marketing analyst in Texas. During the 2021-2022 PGA Tour season, Will continued to rise in the world of golf. Which is kind of a good thing and a bad thing, because when I was hitting the ball the way that I was, its hard to want to change anything, but at the same time I actually saw some benefits. The bride completed her look with elegant makeup and open hair flowing down her shoulders. Zalatoris just missed earning one of the six automatic spots on the U.S. team for the Presidents Cup. Not really. 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. 3. Will Zalatoris was born August 16, 1996, to his parents, Richard Zalatoris and Catherine Zalatoris. Will Zalatoris, the 25 year old who three second place finishes in majors but hadn't won a PGA Tour event yet in his young career, punched his way into the playoff by sinking a must-make, 10-foot. Zalatoris told Golf Digest I was lucky. [4] He was also a member of the U.S. Walker Cup team in 2017, teammates with future PGA Tour winners Collin Morikawa and Cameron Champ. He also set the individual scoring average of 70.44 at Wake Forest University. Straka won his first PGA TOUR title earlier in the year at The Honda Classic. Sitting in a hospital bed on the Monday morning of the tournament, Zalatoris had to make one of the toughest phone calls of his life when he dialed up tournament director Jon Drago and withdrew from the tournament. He was born and raised in San Francisco, playing at Cal Club, where he hung with a much older crowd and pounded . 1, LIV Golf's debut on The CW scores low ratings, How to watch PGA Tour's Arnold Palmer Invitational on ESPN+, Kirk wins Honda in playoff; 1st title since 2015, Howell (63) wins in Mexico for 1st title in LIV, Nicklaus: '24 schedule likely to aid Honda field, Siem ends 8-year wait for another Euro Tour title, Vu overcomes 6-shot deficit to win 1st LPGA title, What's to come in the FedEx Cup playoffs after a long-awaited win for Will Zalatoris, PGA Tour docks Smith 2 shots for bad drop, Here are the 70 players who advanced in the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup playoffs, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information.