After coming within inches of his first PGA Tour win on Sunday, Will Zalatoris has withdrawn from the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am after testing positive for COVID-19. Australian veteran Greg Chalmers will take Zalatoris’ place in the field.
Zalatoris, 25, entered the week as one of the tournament favourites, with only Patrick Cantlay and Daniel Berger (who’s defending his Pebble Beach Pro-Am title) owning lower betting odds. Zalatoris was coming off one of his best performances on tour, with a birdie putt to win the Farmers Insurance Open on the 72nd hole falling just short.
“I’ve seen enough putts through the years coming down that hill to know that that putt just doesn’t go left,” Zalatoris said of the putt, “and it happened to go left.”
Luke List ultimately won a playoff after birdieing the first hole of sudden death.
Despite the tough break, the reigning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year has avoided a sophomore slump. Prior to Torrey Pines he finished T-6 at the American Express to go with top-15 finishes at the Fortinet Championship and Sanderson Farms Championship. He’s 17th in the FedEx Cup standings and first in strokes gained/tee-to-green.
Zalatoris, 29th in the Official World Golf Ranking, was billed as one of the marquee attractions at Pebble Beach, as many of the sport’s best are competing in the Saudi International. He had two previous appearances at the event, his best finish a T-55 last year.
PHOTO: Donald Miralle
