Will Zalatoris Nears PGA Tour Return After Back Surgery

Will Zalatoris' time on the injury sidelines is nearing a finish, with the American seemingly close to a return to the PGA Tour, after a video was posted online of Zalatoris hitting full shots for the first time.

Back in April, the 27-year-old was forced to withdraw from The Masters at the last minute due to injury. Following the withdrawal, Zalatoris released a statement which read: “After careful consideration and seeking multiple medical opinions, I underwent a successful microdiscectomy on Saturday. As much as I hate not being able to play the rest of this season, I am happy that I’m already seeing the benefits of the procedure. Playing and living in pain is not fun. I look forward to making a full recovery and seeing everyone in the fall.”

A number of updates have been released over the last six months, with the most recent a great sign of a return on the horizon. In the video, Zalatoris is seen on the range with TrackMan behind him, as Director of Instruction at Maridoe Golf Club, Troy Denton, films the American striking some shots with an iron.

After undergoing surgery, Zalatoris was back chipping golf balls in July. Not long after, he revealed that he had been completing a degree at Wake Forest University in North Carolina.

"I'm graduating right now, finishing up my degree from Wake Forest," Zalatoris explained on the "Chris Vernon Show". "Now, I'm starting to be able to do stuff, it's great. Because the first eight weeks where I wasn't able to do anything... I ordered every book I could possibly find and I'm not much of a reader. I'm like signing up for classes. I'm finding stuff to do just because I knew I was going to go insane."

Injury problems have unfortunately plagued the 27-year-old's career, with Zalatoris withdrawing from the BMW Championship and season-ending Tour Championship following his FedEx St. Jude Championship victory back in 2022.

At the time, it was reported by Zalatoris' medical team that his back pain was caused by "two herniated discs." The American continued to play in seven tournaments during 2023, but after eight months, decided to undergo surgery to repair the herniated discs.

With the Ryder Cup over, there are a number of FedEx Cup Fall events to be played, but it is currently unclear as to whether Zalatoris will be present at any of them.