‘Most Positive I’ve Felt In Three Years’ - Will Zalatoris Ahead Of Return From Latest Back Surgery

At one point not so long ago Will Zalatoris was one of the best players in the Majors on the planet, regularly challenging in golf's biggest events, before injury brought a promising career to a shuddering halt.

From 2020-2022 Zalatoris exploded onto the Major scene, with six top-eight finishes in the space of eight events - including three runners-up spots.

He should really have turned one of those seconds into a Major title, he could easily have won two of them, but the general consensus was that this ball striking demon would surely win one soon.

Then came three years of injury hell dealing with the back problems that cost him a shot at the FedEx Cup title, and entire Major season and took multiple surgeries to correct his herniated discs.

Zalatoris will return to action at the DP World Tour’s Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa in December, and feels confident that his injury nightmare could finally be behind him.

"I’m already back playing, I'm grinding every day, playing golf every day, trying to get in at least 18," Zalatoris told the PGA Tour as he attended the Simmons Bank Championship event on the PGA Tour Champions.

"It's been a long grind, don’t get me wrong, but this is the most positive I’ve felt in three years. I feel like the nightmare of three years of back pain is finally gone. Finally, I’m able to be a 29-year-old kid and go to work.

"I'm getting a lot of advice here on the PGA Tour Champions because there's a lot of guys with a lot of mileage on their bodies so I'm definitely taking notes this week."

Can Zalatoris get back to his best?

It's been a career of near misses for Zalatoris so far, who was just one shot behind champion Hideki Matsuyama at the 2021 Masters - one shot away from winning the Green Jacket on his debut.

The 2021 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year then suffered back-to-back heartbreaks in 2022 when losing a PGA Championship playoff to Justin Thomas and then coming up just a shot short of Matt Fitzpatrick in the following US Open.

A fighting response saw Zalatoris win the FedEx St. Jude Championship that year to go top of the standings, but again injury cruelly denied him a chance of glory as he had to miss the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship due to his back.

Unable to swing a golf club for five months following 2023 back surgery, he still managed a top 10 at the 2024 Masters but injury forced him in and out of competition until another surgery in May this year.

Still only 29, there's plenty of time for Zalatoris to get his career back on track, as long as his body can stand up to the physical strain his swing places on it - especially his back.

Zalatoris is a truly elite ball striker, but aspects of his swing placed a huge burden on his wiry frame - prompting changes in equipment, his action and even his body, with an attempt made to add a few pounds of muscle as protection.

His swing coach Troy Denton described Zalatoris as having "an old man's back" and it's something that will need constant monitoring and specialist attention to keep him on the golf course.

The former World No.7 has obvious talent, and aside from some shaky short putting he's proven to have a game easily good enough to win Majors - and a grit and determination to deal with heartbreaking defeats and constant injury setbacks.

A 2026 comeback story would be hugely welcome and a deserving reward for his petience and character - let's just hope his body will allow it.