Fifty-four holes, no cut, that's an easy life" -- Padraig Harrington. NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic. "We're talking inches," he says. Zalatoris led the TOUR last season in Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green, after ranking No. There's a legitimate possibility it could happen again on Sunday as Will Zalatoris hovers near the top of the leaderboard. Caitlin and Will got married in an intimate ceremony earlier this week. Then once I came back, it was pretty easy to keep the competitive juices flowing.. He shared the good news via his official Instagram page on December 13. "It's hard to say, 'About time,' when it's your second year on tour, but it's about time," Zalatoris said. NT = No tournament Zalatoris, a native of the San Francisco Bay Area and a big Warriors fan, said his Stephen Curry-inspired retort was directed at all who have criticized his putting over the years. 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. 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. But in the name of avoiding future injury, hes working through the proverbial process. https://t.co/R1e8awZIvh. 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. 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. 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. I have watched this 100 times and still cant explain it. Zalatoris had honors, but his shot was in trouble immediately. A Golf Channel article said Zalatoris was seeking to return at the Hero World Challenge. Kevin Prise is an associate editor for PGATOUR.COM. 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. He birdied the first hole, made only one other birdie, shot 70 and tied for 13th. Zalatoris Masters breakthrough wasnt even the highlight of his month back in April of 2021. It was quite the scene at Wilmington (Del.) 8 in the standings and is assured his first trip to the Tour Championship at East Lake. 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. CUT = missed the half-way cut 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. 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. After sustaining a back injury in the first round of the 149th British Open, Will Zalatoris has withdrawn from his debut at the championship. 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. He even had his favorite spot right off the 18th hole where hed strategically place himself to get autographs from his favorite players. [7] With no status in 2019, Zalatoris relied on Monday qualifying and sponsor exemptions to play in Korn Ferry Tour events. The two met at Wake Forest, where Zalatoris played college golf for three seasons before turning pro in 2018. For the time being, Zalatoris said hes using a 44.75-inch driver shaft, down an inch and a quarter from his former 46-inch gamer. But that showing not only made him a household name to a number of previously unaware golf fans, it also vaulted Zalatoris to No. He finished tied with Scottie Scheffler at the U.S. Open behind Matt Fitzpatrick at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. The winner of the FedEx Cup championship receives $18 million. During the 2021-2022 PGA Tour season, Will continued to rise in the world of golf. Zalatoris had four runners-up including three in major championships before winning in Memphis. 1 spot in the FedEx Cup standings after capturing his first PGA Tour win at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis. The 26-year-old has long displayed an aptitude for quickly bouncing back from injury. Zalatoris was voted PGA Tour Rookie of the Year for the 202021 season. 2. Junior Amateur title in 2014. An MRI revealed that Zalatoris, 26, had two herniated disks. 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 zoomed up the leaderboard Friday with a second-round 65 to take the solo lead at 9 under. Zalatoris shot 1-under 69 on Thursday, but on the 15th hole he drove into the thick rough. 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. Zalatoris and Scheffler are separated by only a couple months in age, so the two played together quite frequently as juniors. He came close to winning three times in 2022, including two major championships, before finally breaking out for his first victory. Will Zalatoris is a rising star on the PGA Tour who has three top-10 finishes in the . Zalatoris is no longer the best on the PGA Tour without a victory. Will Zalatoris has been struggling with a back injury since August. 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. Jack Hirsh is an assistant editor at GOLF. Theres not much time to shake the rust; Zalatoris is quickly back to the throes of elite competition. He didnt exactly take it easy during his time off. Zalatoris (back) pulls out of Tour Championship, A battle for No. So just keep doing what were doing and let the next win get in the way.. Representing Trinity Christian Academy in Addison, a suburb of Dallas, Texas, Zalatoris won the U.S. [13], In January 2022, Zalatoris tied for the lead of the Farmers Insurance Open after 72 holes. 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. He was the highest-ranked player in the world without a TOUR win before beating Sepp Straka in a playoff at TPC Southwind. Zalatoris has played just 40 holes since his thrilling playoff with Straka in the opening event of this years FedExCup Playoffs. 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. ), PGA Tour makes big changes to 2024 designated events, including smaller fields and no cuts, 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational tee times: Round 1 groupings for Thursday. Will Zalatoris walks back to the crowd with his arm around his fianc after winning his first PGA tournament during the last day of the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tenn., Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022. Maintaining a high spot on the OWGR allows golfers who have never won a major to earn exemptions into future majors. 7 the season prior. Not really. Amateur, when Zalatoris qualified as a 12 year old and competed as a 13 year old, alongside Scheffler and Spieth. So it was actually kind of a nice fix.. 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.. Zalatoris was born in 1996 on the 16th of August. Is Dallas becoming unaffordable due to rising housing costs, inflation and stagnating pay? He has competed primarily on the PGA Tour, where he has won once, at the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship . 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. It figures Zalatoris struggled to reflect on his numerous close calls over the past three seasons. Zalatoris will collect $500,000 for 30th, or last place . 121, knowing that only the top 70 advance to the next tournament. 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. 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. Straka, who played bogey-free over the final 13 holes in regulation, moves to No. [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. Will Zalatoris after his missed putt on the . 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. Nothing was more wild than the final hole. Will Zalatoris is married to Caitlyn Sellers. Zalatoris. 3. Wills strong play continued and he finished in 2nd place at the 2021 Masters Tournament, one stroke behind the champion. 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. Zalatoris just missed earning one of the six automatic spots on the U.S. team for the Presidents Cup. PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, and the Swinging Golfer design are registered trademarks. He then withdrew from the following weeks TOUR Championship, finishing a disappointing 30th in the FedExCup after entering the week at No. The newly married couple posed for the camera, standing side by side with Will Zalatoris' hands resting on his wife's waist. The post included the caption, Best day of my life. Whenever we maybe mention something that you maybe want to change, I think all of us kind of had some red flags go up. And then Smith was four shots back without hitting a shot. 1. He teed off at 2:50 p.m. Zalatoris just missed earning one of the six automatic spots on the U.S. team for the Presidents Cup. Zalatorisand his playing partner, Emiliano Grillo, let the group of Sam Burns and Adam Hadwin through as they waited for the PGA Tour physio. 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. After attending Wake Forest for her undergraduate degree, Sellers went to the University of Texas to complete her Masters degree. He had no realistic shot. December 1, I think, was the first day I was cleared for full activity, and really just have been doing as much as I can since then not being able to have a club in my hand for a couple months, I dont think Ive done that probably since I was 8 or 9. He was the 36-hole leader at the 2022 PGA Championship before ultimately falling short of his first major championship after losing to Justin Thomas in a three-hole playoff. Willy Z is FINALLY a winner on the PGA Tour pic.twitter.com/p02shNTaK2. That issue was muscular, not structural like the current one, so it kind of came out of the blue, he said. Clearly ready to end the first-timers . Will had an outstanding collegiate and amateur career, which included representing the United States on the 2017 Walker Cup team at Los Angeles Country Club and winning 4 collegiate titles. The former Wake Forest star was in third position in the FedEx Cup playoffs points standings and was slated to start 3 strokes behind leader Scottie Scheffler in his first appearance in the Tour Championship, which begins Thursday. Now, hes back, and at another big-time event. As the news broke on the internet, fans jumped into the comments section of his post to congratulate the newlywed star. One of Zalatoris favorite stories to tell about the three is a time when he and Scheffler were 11 and they played a round with Spieth (who was 14 at the time) at Bent Tree. Pro V1x Titleist Golf Ball. I realized I dont need to be on the range for hours; I need to play. Straka followed with a shot that also hit the bank, took one bounce off the rocks and went into the water. Im more efficient in my golf swing, he said. But the speeds the same; everything feels really good. Our crew of Davis Riley, Kevin Dougherty and Tony Romo played money games five days a week for four months. 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. After so many near misses, Zalatoris picked up his first PGA Tour victory by defeating Sepp Straka in a playoff at the FedEx St. Jude Championship on Aug. 14. He finished the season ranked #1 in SG: Approach and #1 SG: Tee-to-Green. They examined the pressures of his swing, concluding a motor pattern was the root cause of the strain on his back. 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. The shorter driver allows him more time to bring a potential right miss back on line, he said. Zalatoris, 26, hasn't teed it up since withdrawing during the third. Kim is the first player since Tiger Woods to win twice on TOUR before turning 21. 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. A month before his Masters breakthrough in 2021, Zalatoris was surprised by Romo with a congratulatory message for qualifying for The PLAYERS Championship. 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. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. Will Zalatoris and Caitlin Sellers are considered among the most beautiful couples in the sports world. Aiming for his first PGA Tour win, Zalatoris might make the 2022 PGA Championship his first title. How much "louder" will LIV Golf get in its second season? He also has three runner-up finishes in major championships. The Players Championship will be contested next week without its biggest draw. Will Zalatoris hilariously explained why Phil Mickelson could play Shooter McGavin in Happy Gilmore remake. 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. [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 lost to Justin Thomas in a playoff in the PGA Championship at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Zalatoris made the most of a four-month rehabilitation process after suffering two herniated discs in his back, but its a new year and hes ready to return to competition at this weeks Sentry Tournament of Champions. That offer came in 2015, when Zalatoris was 18 years old. But the speeds the same, everything feels really good.. Born in San Francisco, California, Will Zalatoris was introduced to the game early on playing with his parents at California Golf Club. Spoiler alert: It's yet to be announced, but the course is almost certain to be added as the 2041 Ryder Cup site. Team. The Korn Ferry trademark is also a registered trademark, and is used in the Korn Ferry Tour logo with permission. Will Zalatoris has dealt with his share of anguish in an otherwise impressive PGA Tour season. 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. We basically kind of went through a whole assessment of seeing where Im at and it was really I think keeping longevity in mind as opposed to anything else. Here are 10 things to know about Zalatoris: Most golf fans introduction to Zalatoris was during the 2021 Masters. The train of the wedding dress was spread over the stairs while she was holding white flowers in her hand. 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. Straka won his first PGA TOUR title earlier in the year at The Honda Classic. Will Zalatoris has withdrawn from the 2022 BMW Championship in the third round after suffering a back injury, the PGA Tour announced on Saturday. 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. Back in 2015, he finished T4 at the Pacific Coast Amateur shortly after returning from an emergency appendectomy. The Plano alum walked down the aisle with his long-term girlfriend, Caitlin Sellers, who has been his best friend since his college days. And that would keep alive a crazy stat: of the seven major championships played at Southern Hills, all were won by a player who led or co-led the tournament through 36 holes. 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. Critics say new PGA Tour events copy LIV. TSR3 Titleist Driver. Find classes that best matches your needs. When Zalatoris first broke onto the golf scene, golf fans on social media were quick to point out their favorite Zalatoris doppelgngers. 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. Spieth then birdied six of the next eight holes for a 29 on his way to a course-record 63. Impact Zalatoris played in his first tournament since tweaking his back at the BMW Championship in August. Zalatoris wanted to make swing changes to prevent an injury like this one from happening again. Amateur nearly a decade earlier. He has suffered two herniated discs and has been away from the game. 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. Im always available for you, Mr. Gilmore., If youre ever in need of a caddie again let me know. Despite his big win, Zalatoris still has not received his PGA . 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. The Korn Ferry trademark is also a registered trademark, and is used in the Korn Ferry Tour logo with permission. Zalatoris notches first PGA Tour victory in playoff, A battle for No. Zalatoris won't be replaced in the 30-man field at East Lake and will receive a $500,000 bonus. 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. College career [ edit] Zalatoris was born in San Francisco, California. 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. Will Zalatoris, the 25-year-old golfer out of Dallas has finally grabbed his first PGA Tour victory, winning a three-hole playoff vs. Sepp Straka at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. 1 spot in the FedEx Cup, assuring him a reasonable shot at the $18 million prize in two weeks. Not only was he among four players who moved into the top 70, he now is at No. 8:12 AM on May 21, 2022 CDT Updated at 11:37 PM on Aug 14, 2022 CDT. Zalatoris took that attitude all the way to the final group on Saturday. Will Zalatoris found the end of Netflix.. 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. That included events like the 2009 U.S. 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. Player Profile: Birthplace. 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.