Will Zalatoris provides positive health update, says his ‘nightmare’ of back pain is gone

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Between 2020 and 2022, Will Zalatoris racked up six top 10 finishes in major championships and picked up his first victory in a FedEx Cup Playoff event. He was well on his way to superstardom, but his back had other plans.

It was just one week after he claimed that maiden win at the FedEx St. Jude Championship where Zalatoris’ back troubles began. After just two rounds of the BMW Championship, the second leg of the 2022 FedEx Cup Playoffs, Zalatoris withdrew with two herniated disks in his back. He also missed the following week’s Tour Championship as well as the Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow later that fall.

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In the three years since, Zalatoris has played in just 41 events and had two back surgeries, the most recent of which came last May after he had missed the cut in the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. At the time, Zalatoris said he was targeting a fall return. 

But in a recent interview, Zalatoris sounds like he’s taking a more measured approach. The 29-year-old is on hand this week at the PGA Tour Champions’ Simmons Bank Championship, and he provided a positive health update, noting he’s looking forward to returning to competition in 2026. 

“I’m already back playing, I’m grinding every day,” Zalatoris said. “Trying to get in at least 18 [every day]. 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 kind of gone now, finally,” he added. 

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This article was originally published on golfdigest.com