Getty Image / Patrick Smith
Will Zalatoris’ absence from The Masters didn’t go unnoticed by the golf world.
The #8 ranked golfer in the world had to withdraw from The Masters hours before the first round due to a lingering back injury.
Will Zalatoris suffered two herniated discs in his back at the end of 2022 (having to withdraw from the TOUR Championship) and has been battling through those injuries ever since while still performing at a top level when he’s able to. Zalatoris finished 4th at the Genesis Invitational and 11th at the Sentry Tournament of Champions.
Now, his 2022/23 PGA Tour season is over after Will Zalatoris announced he underwent back surgery. Specifically, Zalatoris underwent a microdiscectomy procedure to repair damaged lumbar spine discs.
On Monday morning, the 26-year-old San Francisco native announced his surgery on Instagram.
If that isn’t loading, his message reads:
“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 am 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.
Thank you to Dr. Michael Duffy, Dr. Tom Kelton, and their respective teams for getting me fixed. And, of course, thank you to everyone for the support and the messages. I look forward to getting back to 100%.
Zalatoris is currently ranked 8th in the world according to the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR). His position remained unchanged after The Masters despite there being a lot of movement on the board.
LIV Golf’s Brooks Koepka moved from 118th to 39th. Patrick Reed went up from 70th to 45th. And Phil Mickelson was the biggest mover in Monday’s OWGR rankings shakeup, moving from 425th in the world to 72nd.
Patricia Duffy of Yahoo! / Golf writes that Tiger Woods “has had no fewer than four microdiscectomy procedures in the last decade.” So this is by no means a nail in the coffin of Will Zalatoris’ career. If anything, this could lead to him coming back stronger and healthier than ever next season.
Zalatoris has already earned $14,382,088 on the PGA Tour and is one of the tour’s brightest young stars. Fans were quick to hop into his comments on Instagram to send well wishes.
They wrote:
“You’ll be back better than ever. Speedy recovery.”
“Can’t wait to see you back doing your thing.”
“Good for you dude. Take care of yourself.”
“Right decision and praying for a full recovery!”
Will Zalatoris is one of the most well-liked players on the PGA Tour. He’s also constantly in the mix during the Major Championships.
In 2022, Zalatoris finished runner-up at the PGA Championship and the US Open. He also finished 2nd at the 2021 Masters.
Here’s to hoping for a speedy and full recovery.