It was quite the scene at Wilmington (Del.) 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. 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. Will Zalatoris' Climb to Success Makes Him a PGA Tour Star-In-Waiting Zalatoris will collect $500,000 for 30th, or last place . Scott Bell, Breaking News Editor. 2. He became the first player to be voted Rookie of the Year without having a card in 20 years (Charles Howell III did so in 2001). But in the name of avoiding future injury, hes working through the proverbial process. William Patrick Zalatoris (born August 16, 1996) is an American professional golfer. 3. Will Zalatoris and Caitlin Sellers are considered among the most beautiful couples in the sports world. Zalatorisand his playing partner, Emiliano Grillo, let the group of Sam Burns and Adam Hadwin through as they waited for the PGA Tour physio. "Considering all those close finishes, it means a lot.". 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. Zalatoris has said he gets comparisons to Owen Wilson quite a bit, but the one that gained the most steam during the 2021 Masters was a comparison to Jared van Snellenberg. That issue was muscular, not structural like the current one, so it kind of came out of the blue, he said. Stars are everywhere on the leaderboard heading into the weekend at Bay Hill. He birdied the first hole, made only one other birdie, shot 70 and tied for 13th. At the time, Zalatoris was leading the FedEx Cup after capturing his first PGA Tour win a week earlier in Memphis. 7 the season prior. PGA Tour: Will Zalatoris gets married, expected to return in Hawaii Musician Gryffin congratulated the golfer in the comments section. 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. He tried to play through the injury but withdrew on the next hole. Find more golf coverage from The Dallas Morning News here. But those battles started long before they were competing for millions on golfs grandest stage. 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. Who Is Will Zalatoris' Wife? | Golf Monthly Im more efficient in my golf swing, he said. Please logout and login again. Straka followed with a shot that also hit the bank, took one bounce off the rocks and went into the water. The Korn Ferry trademark is also a registered trademark, and is used in the Korn Ferry Tour logo with permission. "We're talking inches," he says. Will Zalatoris - GOLF News, Rumors, & Updates | FOX Sports NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic. Scott is the Breaking News Editor for the Dallas Morning News. Junior finalists to roommates", "Will Zalatoris Named ACC Player of the Year", "Will Zalatoris, a former Wake Forest star, hitting his stride on the Korn Ferry Tour", "Will Zalatoris wrote his caddie a check for the winner's share, then went and won", "U.S. Open: Will Zalatoris makes hole-in-one, almost does it again later in round", "Will Zalatoris surpasses KFT season earnings with U.S. Open T-6", "Golfer Will Zalatoris is PGA Tour rookie of the year", "Will Zalatoris shoots 61 to share lead at Sanderson Farms", "Luke List beats Will Zalatoris in a playoff at Farmers Insurance Open for first PGA Tour win", "Thomas wins 2nd PGA title in playoff after 7-shot rally", "Will Zalatoris comes up short at U.S. Open, his third runner-up finish at a major: 'I'm going to keep knocking on the door', "Will Zalatoris gets 1st PGA Tour win in playoff at Memphis", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Will_Zalatoris&oldid=1126465827, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 2017 General Hackler Championship, Rod Myers Invitational, Most consecutive cuts made 4 (2022 Masters - 2022 Open Championship, current), This page was last edited on 9 December 2022, at 13:40. Heading into the PGA Championship, Zalatoris had four top-10 finishes in his first seven career major championship appearances. He ranked top-three in both Total Driving and Greens in Regulation on the 2019 and 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour, as well. 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. Wills strong play continued and he finished in 2nd place at the 2021 Masters Tournament, one stroke behind the champion. 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. That offer came in 2015, when Zalatoris was 18 years old. 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. Smith declined interview requests. Before heading off to play collegiately, he won both the Texas State Amateur and the U.S. 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational: How to watch, TV schedule, streaming, tee times, Meet the new GOLF Top 100 Teachers of America, 7 interesting gear finds inside Tommy Fleetwoods golf bag | Bag Spy, Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. The highlights of the season came when he finished 2nd at both the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open, then capped off an exceptional season with his first PGA Tour victory at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. "I am beyond disappointed," he . Straka, already a winner this year in the Honda Classic, narrowly missed a 20-foot birdie putt for the victory on the 18th for a 67. He lost to Justin Thomas in a playoff in the PGA Championship at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma. So thats why my speed is the same actually with the shorter driver. Maintaining a high spot on the OWGR allows golfers who have never won a major to earn exemptions into future majors. 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! 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.. Find classes that best matches your needs. I mean, weve looked at everything that I was doing to make sure I was doing the right things and we were checking all the boxes and it was just strictly a motor pattern thing, 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.. Yes, as a 14-year-old kid. I love you., A post shared by Will Zalatoris (@willzalatoris). Before joining GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but also producing, anchoring and even presenting the weather. Our crew of Davis Riley, Kevin Dougherty and Tony Romo played money games five days a week for four months. PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, and the Swinging Golfer design are registered trademarks. Zalatoris had to have an emergency appendectomy. He can be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com. "Playing the cutline is one of the toughest things in golf. After sustaining a back injury in the first round of the 149th British Open, Will Zalatoris has withdrawn from his debut at the championship. Will Zalatoris makes most of three-hole playoff to win FedEx St. Jude Despite his big win, Zalatoris still has not received his PGA . Im trying to get more centered over it and work more around my right side, so more a turn as opposed to a lateral shift. Its hard when youre the No. Will attended Wake Forest University where he received the Arnold Palmer Scholarship. Is Dallas becoming unaffordable due to rising housing costs, inflation and stagnating pay? Zalatoris was born in San Francisco, California, but his family moved to the Dallas, Texas, area . He tends to push off his right side later than most; with his level of side bend, his right hip is high with his spine tilted back. Straka won his first PGA TOUR title earlier in the year at The Honda Classic. Top 100 Courses in the U.S.: GOLFs all-new 2022-23 ranking is here! Zalatoris wanted to make swing changes to prevent an injury like this one from happening again. He could have been referring to his runner-up finish to Hideki Matsuyama in the Masters last year or the playoff losses at Torrey Pines and at Southern Hills in the PGA Championship or most recently the putt that burned the edge of the cup that kept him from a U.S. Open playoff. After his first TOUR victory at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in mid-August, the first of three FedExCup Playoffs events, Zalatoris was forced to withdraw during the third round of the following weeks BMW Championship due to injury. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. "This course is where every shot you hit you're on the edge of your seat," Straka said. Zalatoris was voted PGA Tour Rookie of the Year for the 202021 season. When my right hip gets high and the spine tilts back, youre all of a sudden creating all that stress on your back. 121, knowing that only the top 70 advance to the next tournament. Spoiler alert: It's yet to be announced, but the course is almost certain to be added as the 2041 Ryder Cup site. It figures Zalatoris struggled to reflect on his numerous close calls over the past three seasons. Be the first one to comment on this story. Will Zalatoris spent his weekend on the greens, but not the one he's used to. 7 World Ranking. Country Club when he tweaked his lower back. The Korn Ferry trademark is also a registered trademark, and is used in the Korn Ferry Tour logo with permission. Representing TCA-Addison in 2014, Zalatoris won the U.S. He teed off at 2:50 p.m. In Texas, we couldnt practice, but we could play. 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. William Patrick Zalatoris (born August 16, 1996) is an American professional golfer. 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. Wake Forest University College. Will Zalatoris is a rising star on the PGA Tour who has three top-10 finishes in the . Instead, it looks like the Sentry Tournament of Champions could be the site of his return. Zalatoris was born in 1996 on the 16th of August. He has suffered two herniated discs and has been away from the game. 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, FedEx Cup leader Zalatoris WDs with back injury, Who can win the FedEx Cup? 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. Junior Amateur title in 2014. Back from injury, Will Zalatoris reveals swing fix that took stress off Will Zalatoris' Girlfriend & Family: 5 Fast Facts | Heavy.com Caitlin has changed her last name to Zalatoris on her Instagram account. 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. Zalatoris called the process the "easiest 15 pounds [he's] ever put on." . But the speeds the same, everything feels really good.. 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. [13], In January 2022, Zalatoris tied for the lead of the Farmers Insurance Open after 72 holes. The winner of the FedEx Cup championship receives $18 million. He teed off at 2:50 p.m. 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. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. He is set to return pretty soon. Zalatoris qualified for the upcoming Sentry Tournament of Champions by winning his first PGA TOUR title at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Mr. Gilmore is watching you and very proud., Zalatoris handled it with good humor, responding to Sandler by saying If youre ever in need of a caddie again let me know. It brought me back to being a kid. Masters 2021: Now in full bloom, Will Zalatoris nearly cooks up victory Will Zalatoris hilariously explained why Phil Mickelson could play Shooter McGavin in Happy Gilmore remake. "T" = Tied [14], In May 2022, Zalatoris finished second in a major championship for the second time. Szokol opens with 64, up 3 shots in Singapore, More PGA Tour changes: No cuts, smaller fields, Rahm sought Tiger's advice on staying No. He recorded three 2nd Place finishes, nine Top-10 finishes, and ended the year ranked #7 in the Official World Golf Ranking. 27 in the Official World Golf Rankings. 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. He finished tied with Scottie Scheffler at the U.S. Open behind Matt Fitzpatrick at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. Aiming for his first PGA Tour win, Zalatoris might make the 2022 PGA Championship his first title. "That was another good step for Will," said . Id go to the course, carrying my bag, playing with my buddies, just trying to beat the crap out of each other. [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. Here are 10 things to know about Zalatoris: Most golf fans introduction to Zalatoris was during the 2021 Masters. Start the Golf Season off right with InsideGOLF ($100 value - just $20). 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. He has displayed a good feel for the golf course (particularly the greens) and opened with rounds of 70-68. Zalatoris took a while to collect his first PGA Tour win, but his rookie year was one for the ages. Already a force in the majors, Zalatoris got that first win out of the way with clutch putts and smart decisions to beat Sepp Straka and capture the first FedEx Cup playoff event. Will Zalatoris | Golfer | Titleist 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. After years of dating, the couple finally tied the knot and shared the good news with Will's 256K Instagram followers. Will Zalatoris is married to Caitlyn Sellers. Will and Caitlin have been dating each other since they met in 2018 at Wake Forest College. [7] With no status in 2019, Zalatoris relied on Monday qualifying and sponsor exemptions to play in Korn Ferry Tour events. Representing Trinity Christian Academy in Addison, a suburb of Dallas, Texas, Zalatoris won the U.S. He admittedly got bored quickly with his recovery routine. 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. MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The 10-foot par putt in regulation was so crucial and the moment so important that Will Zalatoris doesn't remember screaming out when he made it, "What are they gonna say now?". So Im trying to get more centered over it and work more around my right side, so more of a turn as opposed to kind of a lateral shift, because like I said, when my right hip gets high and the spine tilts back, youre now all of a sudden creating all that stress on your back. The grip trick and 20-minute practice routine Will Zalatoris - PGATour And that would keep. Oops! Follow Kevin Prise on Twitter. But he took up his teammates offer to come out and hang with the team for a . Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. He didnt exactly take it easy during his time off. Watching some of my friends play, going to the Presidents Cup, kind of keeping my mind active and spending some time with the guys back home, even just riding around in a cart when they were playing, Zalatoris described his downtime, keep my mind active, even though my body wouldnt let me. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, Stand with us in our mission to discover and uncover the story of North Texas, 10 things to know about Will Zalatoris, including his first PGA tour win, the 36-hole leader at the 2022 PGA Championship, ultimately falling short of his first major championship after losing to Justin Thomas in a three-hole playoff, ultimately fell one shot short of Matsuyama and finished in solo second place, good for a payday of $1,242,000, No. Sandler tweeted Have fun today young man. Zalatoris didnt end up winning the hardware that year, but he did hoist the trophy a few years later. He came close to winning three times in 2022, including two major championships, before finally breaking out for his first victory. U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick and Presidents Cup star Tom Kim are among the other first-time TOUR winners who are scheduled to appear at Kapalua. It made us all really sharp. Ive learned a lot about my body, probably more than I think I ever wanted to, Zalatoris said Tuesday afternoon in Hawaii. 8:12 AM on May 21, 2022 CDT Updated at 11:37 PM on Aug 14, 2022 CDT. Born in San Francisco, California, Will Zalatoris was introduced to the game early on playing with his parents at California Golf Club. Jack Hirsh is an assistant editor at GOLF. Ranking all 30 Tour Championship players, The 30 players headed to the Tour Championship and finale of the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup playoffs, Author of seven books on college football. September 14, 2022 4:18 pm ET Will Zalatoris had quite the year. He was captain of his high school golf team and still *tries* to remain competitive in local amateurs. A 24-year-old American golfer who isn't even on the PGA Tour yet won $1.2 million at the Masters and is reveling in his newfound fame. Will Zalatoris withdraws from Tour Championship, will also not play in British Open champion Cameron Smith could have replaced Scheffler by winning and arrived at the TPC Southwind two shots out of the lead. 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. 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. Will Zalatoris has withdrawn from the TOUR Championship with two herniated discs in his back. 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. TSR3 Titleist Driver. Copyright 2023 PGA TOUR, Inc. All rights reserved. A Golf Channel article said Zalatoris was seeking to return at the Hero World Challenge. A month before his Masters breakthrough in 2021, Zalatoris was surprised by Romo with a congratulatory message for qualifying for The PLAYERS Championship. Zalatoris, 26, was injured on the third hole of the third round of the BMW Championship on Saturday at Wilmington Country Club in Delaware. Will Zalatoris has withdrawn from the 2022 BMW Championship in the third round after suffering a back injury, the PGA Tour announced on Saturday. The fix: adjusting his setup, with the goal of reducing the strain on his back. Straka, who played bogey-free over the final 13 holes in regulation, moves to No. A bad back is keeping the 26-year-old from competing in the Presidents Cup after qualifying for a spot at Quail Hollow. 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. 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. Copyright 2023 PGA TOUR, Inc. All rights reserved. PGA: Mexican food, 'veg time' for Will Zalatoris, caddie - Golfweek British Open: Will Zalatoris WD's after feeling 'tingling' in his leg 1, a loaded LPGA field and more to watch in golf this week, Here's everything you missed this week in professional golf, Jin Young Ko up by 2 in Singapore title defense, Quigley fires 65 for early lead in PGA Champions, Kitayama handles windy Bay Hill as Rahm falters, Tiger not part of field for next week's Players, Young stretches lead to 4 in Puerto Rico Open, Rahm stays hot, finishes strong for Bay Hill lead, Rookie Young captures Puerto Rico lead with 63. Then once I came back, it was pretty easy to keep the competitive juices flowing.. 70 by three points. The post included the caption, Best day of my life. The two met at Wake Forest, where Zalatoris played college golf for three seasons before turning pro in 2018. Newlywed Will Zalatoris returns from back injury at Sentry But that showing not only made him a household name to a number of previously unaware golf fans, it also vaulted Zalatoris to No. Zalatoris. Player Profile: Birthplace. pic.twitter.com/qtEj1JyZdL. PGA:How to watch|ESPN+ streaming|Leaderboard|Saturday tee times. Impact Zalatoris played in his first tournament since tweaking his back at the BMW Championship in August. Ive learned a lot about my body, probably more than I think I ever wanted to. The former Wake Forest star and 2014 U.S. Sharing the good news, the Texas native posted a slew of glamorous pictures with a caption that said: Earlier this week, he again took to his social media account to share a happy moment from his wedding. The first event of 2023 also could be Will Zalatoris' first start since August. It was nice because I was able to bring the ball flight down; living in Texas, youre used to hitting the ball low, but its doing it by itself as opposed to having to manipulate it. 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 . Ill be better this time. [3] In his junior year, Zalatoris was named All-ACC, First-Team GCAA All-American, First-Team Golf week All-American, Nicklaus Award finalist, Hogan Award semifinalist, played in all 12 events and had a scoring average of 70.14, third-best season average in school history. "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. He was the highest-ranked player in the world without a TOUR win before beating Sepp Straka in a playoff at TPC Southwind. Zalatoris notches first PGA Tour victory in playoff, A battle for No. 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. 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. Kevin Prise is an associate editor for PGATOUR.COM. Its the PGA TOURs first designated event of 2023, with 17 of the top 20 players on the Official World Golf Ranking set to compete at the Plantation Course at Kapalua. Zalatoris breakthrough at Augusta was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to strong showings at major championships. 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. Will Zalatoris finished second at the Masters in his first time playing Augusta National. Tyler Lauletta. Topics of discussion included how Zalatoris seems to always step it up in majors as well as what its like to play in a group behind Tiger Woods. 21st 310.9 Driving Distance. Let us take your workout routines to the next level with our 365 day challenge and programs schedule. Zalatoris ultimately fell one shot short of Matsuyama and finished in solo second place, good for a payday of $1,242,000. He was in the trees, close to a boundary fence on the 18th on the second playoff hole, when he wisely chipped out and made a 15-foot par putt. Find classes that best matches your needs. PGA TOUR players on Scottie Schefflers breakout season. Each morning, he ate a full breakfast at 6 a.m. and then waited until late in the evening to have a robust dinner.