He secured membership for the remainder of the season on July 7 after a tie for third at the LECOM Health Challenge, and finished the regular season 60th in points, earning full status for the 2020 season.[8]. He is fully focused on getting healthy and back onto the course as soon as he is able.". Amateur nearly a decade earlier. Your login session has expired. 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, 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, 26, hasn't teed it up since withdrawing during the third. 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. Its just because of the efficiency now of how I push into a golf ball.. 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. 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. Will Zalatoris hilariously explained why Phil Mickelson could play Shooter McGavin in Happy Gilmore remake. 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. 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. September 14, 2022 4:18 pm ET Will Zalatoris had quite the year. Prior to moving to Dallas, he worked at the Detroit Free Press. Zalatoris breakthrough at Augusta was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to strong showings at major championships. 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. 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. [7] With no status in 2019, Zalatoris relied on Monday qualifying and sponsor exemptions to play in Korn Ferry Tour events. "That was another good step for Will," said . Instead, it looks like the Sentry Tournament of Champions could be the site of his return. Zalatoris won't be replaced in the 30-man field at East Lake and will receive a $500,000 bonus. He finished second in two majors this year, losing a playoff to Justin Thomas at the PGA Championship and narrowly missing a birdie putt on the 72nd hole of the U.S. Open that would have tied him with Fitzpatrick. He has competed primarily on the PGA Tour, where he has won once, at the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship . 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. He was born and raised in San Francisco, playing at Cal Club, where he hung with a much older crowd and pounded . 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. Not really. 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. The first event of 2023 also could be Will Zalatoris' first start since August. 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. 8:12 AM on May 21, 2022 CDT Updated at 11:37 PM on Aug 14, 2022 CDT. 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. William Patrick Zalatoris (born August 16, 1996) is an American professional golfer. [11] He followed it up with a T8 at the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship, and secured Special Temporary Member status after the Bermuda Championship in early November. 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. 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. Is Dallas becoming unaffordable due to rising housing costs, inflation and stagnating pay? Will was voted the 2020-2021 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year by his peers. 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 . Top 100 Courses in the U.S.: GOLFs all-new 2022-23 ranking is here! Im always available for you, Mr. Gilmore. This is the first time Zalatoris has qualified for Kapalua. The Korn Ferry trademark is also a registered trademark, and is used in the Korn Ferry Tour logo with permission. The comparisons got so mainstream that even Adam Sandler, star of Happy Gilmore, tweeted Zalatoris during the 2021 Masters and joined the fray. 7 World Ranking. 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. Find more golf coverage from The Dallas Morning News here. After sustaining a back injury in the first round of the 149th British Open, Will Zalatoris has withdrawn from his debut at the championship. 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 is looking to keep the Southern Hills major streak alive. PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, and the Swinging Golfer design are registered trademarks. Each morning, he ate a full breakfast at 6 a.m. and then waited until late in the evening to have a robust dinner. The event was the first of three events in the 2022 FedEx Cup Playoffs, With his win, Zalatoris moved to first in the FedEx Cup standings ahead of Scottie Scheffler.[17]. Zalatoris won on the third playoff hole. Its also the first of the PGA Tours new elevated events, with a $15 million purse. Will Zalatoris is a rising star on the PGA Tour who has three top-10 finishes in the . In a picture shared on his Instagram page, Will Zalatoris was dressed in blue formals with a matching bow tie while his gorgeous wife Caitlin was in the limelight in her elegant white wedding gown. Please logout and login again. 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. Ive learned a lot about my body, probably more than I think I ever wanted to, Zalatoris said Tuesday afternoon in Hawaii. After withdrawing from the 2021 Open Championship due to a muscular issue, he finished T8 in his next start, the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational three weeks later. Not only was he among four players who moved into the top 70, he now is at No. Zalatoris called the process the "easiest 15 pounds [he's] ever put on." . 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. [13], In January 2022, Zalatoris tied for the lead of the Farmers Insurance Open after 72 holes. How much "louder" will LIV Golf get in its second season? Zalatoris and Scheffler are separated by only a couple months in age, so the two played together quite frequently as juniors. 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. "I am beyond disappointed," he . Scott Bell, Breaking News Editor. He ranked top-three in both Total Driving and Greens in Regulation on the 2019 and 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour, as well. He even married his longtime sweetheart, Caitlin. Straka followed with a shot that also hit the bank, took one bounce off the rocks and went into the water. Caitlin and Will got married in an intimate ceremony earlier this week. He had no realistic shot. Something went wrong while submitting the form. ET in the final group with Mito Pereira. 1 in the world stays with Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, who missed the cut and spent Sunday playing Pine Valley for the first time. He also has three runner-up finishes in major championships. Will Zalatoris. 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. 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. Among his eight top-10s are three runners-up, including at two majorsthe PGA Championship and U.S . 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. Will Zalatoris and Caitlin Sellers are considered among the most beautiful couples in the sports world. Will Zalatoris has been struggling with a back injury since August. 27 in the Official World Golf Rankings. Zalatoris told Golf Digest I was lucky. The two have been together for more than four years now after meeting at Wake Forest college in late 2018. 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 is making his first start since withdrawing from the BMW Championship in August. He was captain of his high school golf team and still *tries* to remain competitive in local amateurs. QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play 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. He teed off at 2:50 p.m. ET in the final group with Mito Pereira. They are unarguably made for each other. 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. After attending Wake Forest for her undergraduate degree, Sellers went to the University of Texas to complete her Masters degree. Will picked up his first professional victory in 2020 at the TPC Colorado Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour. But in the name of avoiding future injury, hes working through the proverbial process. The Korn Ferry trademark is also a registered trademark, and is used in the Korn Ferry Tour logo with permission. Copyright 2023 PGA TOUR, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Its hard when youre the No. 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. "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. Zalatoris qualified for the upcoming Sentry Tournament of Champions by winning his first PGA TOUR title at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. 8 in the standings and is assured his first trip to the Tour Championship at East Lake. He had attended every Nelson since he was 9 years old. Be a little more centered, as opposed to having ball forward with more spine tilt at address, Zalatoris said. Nevertheless, his first win would not be an easy one. 27 in the Official World Golf Rankings, earned a spot in the tournament through local qualifying, had to withdraw in his British Open debut because of an injury he suffered late in his first round, proposed to his long-time girlfriend Caitlin Sellers, fellow 25-year-old DFW golf star Scottie Scheffler, getting initial golf instruction from former U.S. Open champion Ken Venturi as a 6 year old in San Francisco, they were pains from an inflamed appendix, he earned a spot in the field of the 2015 Northern Trust by winning a collegiate showcase, the title he has reserved for former Cowboys QB Tony Romo, 10 things to know about Scottie Scheffler: 25-year-old Masters champ has taken golf world by storm, 10 things you may not know about Jordan Spieth, including how he battled a shark, getting asked out by Miss Texas in a freestyle rap, Find more golf coverage from The Dallas Morning News here, The Cowboys are closer than you think to a total makeover at running back, Why Rangers cautious approach with pitchers in spring training could still be risky, Jerry Jones talks Dak Prescotts Tom Brady-esque qualities and more from the NFL combine, Luka Doncic-Kyrie Irving duos on-the-fly rapport gets test from Kevin Durant, Suns, A week after torching the Stars, Max Domi joins Dallas in its march toward the playoffs, DeSotos chase for third straight title continues after rout of Pearland in 6A semifinals, UIL boys basketball playoffs (6A): Tre Johnson, Lake Highlands shine; DeSoto defense rises, 2023 UIL girls state basketball: Schedule, previews and more for Dallas-area teams, 2023 UIL girls basketball state tournament pairings: See schedule for semifinal matchups, 2023 UIL boys basketball regional tournament pairings: See schedule for Dallas-area teams, 3 children killed, 2 wounded at Ellis County home; suspect in custody, How a Texas districts reaction to school shooting fears highlights discipline concerns. Theres not much time to shake the rust; Zalatoris is quickly back to the throes of elite competition. pic.twitter.com/qtEj1JyZdL. Here are 10 things to know about Zalatoris: Most golf fans introduction to Zalatoris was during the 2021 Masters. He lost a sudden-death playoff to Luke List when List hit his approach shot to a foot away from the first playoff hole and made birdie. Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images. The shorter driver allows him more time to bring a potential right miss back on line, he said. 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. The shutdown simplified things.. Zalatoris (back) pulls out of Tour Championship, A battle for No. Zalatoris just missed earning one of the six automatic spots on the U.S. team for the Presidents Cup. And that would keep. 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. According to Golf Monthly, Sellers has completed her post-graduate studies at the University of Texas and is most likely working as a marketing analyst. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, and the Swinging Golfer design are registered trademarks. He admittedly got bored quickly with his recovery routine. He went to the drop zone, hit to 7 feet and let his raised hands drop over his head in relief when he made the winning putt. "T" = tied Zalatoris will collect $500,000 for 30th, or last place . So thats why my speed is the same actually with the shorter driver. 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. I feel really good with everything, Zalatoris said. If that doesnt sound like a household name to you, dont worry. One wrote: There was a slew of hundreds of comments from Will Zalatoris's family, friends, and fans congratulating him on the start of the new chapter of his life. 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. How much "louder" will LIV Golf get in its second season? Team. He has displayed a good feel for the golf course (particularly the greens) and opened with rounds of 70-68.