British Open champion Cameron Smith could have replaced Scheffler by winning and arrived at the TPC Southwind two shots out of the lead. At the FedEx St. Jude Championships, Zalatoris entered a three-hole playoff vs. Sepp Straka that could have very well swung Strakas way had some balls bounced differently. He shared the good news via his official Instagram page on December 13. Will Zalatoris, who had the most money and the best world ranking of anyone without a PGA Tour victory, won the FedEx St. Jude Championship without making birdie in a three-hole playoff on Sunday . Will Zalatoris has withdrawn from the 2022 BMW Championship in the third round after suffering a back injury, the PGA Tour announced on Saturday. Jack Hirsh is an assistant editor at GOLF. During the 2021-2022 PGA Tour season, Will continued to rise in the world of golf. Zalatoris holed a dramatic 18th-hole birdie to tie the match against Na and he won the match four holes later with a birdie at the par-4 13th hole. A feat that would soon eclipsed by his performance at Augusta a month later, but was at the time a career highlight: First PLAYERS.Surprise messages from family and friends. He admittedly got bored quickly with his recovery routine. Now, hes back, and at another big-time event. Will Zalatoris spent his weekend on the greens, but not the one he's used to. Having finished runner-up in three majors in his career, it seemed to be only a matter of time before Zalatoris finally collected a title. ET in the final group with Mito Pereira. Zalatoris just missed earning one of the six automatic spots on the U.S. team for the Presidents Cup. Zalatoris experienced a string of close calls last year namely six top-six finishes in an eight-event stretch, including runner-up finishes at the PGA Championship and U.S. Open before his breakthrough victory at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. He recorded three 2nd Place finishes, nine Top-10 finishes, and ended the year ranked #7 in the Official World Golf Ranking. Straka went to the drop zone, and his wedge went into the back bunker. Here are 10 things to know about Zalatoris: Most golf fans introduction to Zalatoris was during the 2021 Masters. He finished second in two majors this year, losing a playoff to Justin Thomas at the PGA Championship and narrowly missing a birdie putt on the 72nd hole of the U.S. Open that would have tied him with Fitzpatrick. Was all but a lock to make roster as a captains pick, begging the question of who will replace him, How Will Zalatoris turned his putter into a strength. U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick and Presidents Cup star Tom Kim are among the other first-time TOUR winners who are scheduled to appear at Kapalua. During the hiatus, Zalatoris spent time with Greg Rose, a Doctor of Chiropractic at the Titleist Performance Institute, conducting an assessment with the goal of promoting career longevity. The Tour Championship field at East Lake will fall to 29 and the starting strokes for other players in the field will not be affected. Maintaining a high spot on the OWGR allows golfers who have never won a major to earn exemptions into future majors. After sustaining a back injury in the first round of the 149th British Open, Will Zalatoris has withdrawn from his debut at the championship. 21st 310.9 Driving Distance. Ill be better this time. "The first three local golfers pictured: 16-year-old Jordan Spieth, 13-year-old Will Zalatoris and 13-year-old Scottie Scheffler.They turned out OK. pic.twitter.com/bp5TlirfkB. That top finish, along with a number of others, secured him Special Temporary Member status on the PGA Tour which allowed him to accept unlimited sponsor exemptions for the 2020-2021 season. The fix: adjusting his setup, with the goal of reducing the strain on his back. 3. Zalatoris is among a notable list of first-time TOUR winners who have committed to the Sentry Tournament of. The first event of 2023 also could be Will Zalatoris first start since August. Instead, it looks like the Sentry Tournament of Champions could be the site of his return. Zalatoris will collect $500,000 for 30th, or last place . Zalatoris had honors, but his shot was in trouble immediately. As Dr. Rose said, duh, no wonder I had a back issue, Zalatoris quipped. Will Zalatoris WDs from British Open after feeling 'tingling' in his leg during first round. I spent some time with Dr. Greg Rose at [the Titleist Performance Institute], he said. He also has three runner-up finishes in major championships. Representing Trinity Christian Academy in Addison, a suburb of Dallas, Texas, Zalatoris won the U.S. This week is a limited-field tournanment with only last years winners and Tour Championship qualifiers. Its the PGA TOURs first designated event of 2023, with 17 of the top 20 players on the Official World Golf Ranking set to compete at the Plantation Course at Kapalua. Zalatoris made the most of a four-month rehabilitation process after suffering two herniated discs in his back, but its a new year and hes ready to return to competition at this weeks Sentry Tournament of Champions. TSR3 Titleist Driver. Smith declined interview requests. He lost to Justin Thomas in a playoff in the PGA Championship at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma. But his speed has remained the same as it was from last year when he finished 13th in driving distance on Tour at 314.7 yards a pop. He ranked top-three in both Total Driving and Greens in Regulation on the 2019 and 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour, as well. "Considering where Sepp was and he had 4 feet for 5, there's no reason for me to try that shot and make it bank right into the grass and go back in the water and all of a sudden I've lost the golf tournament," Zalatoris said. The comparisons got so mainstream that even Adam Sandler, star of Happy Gilmore, tweeted Zalatoris during the 2021 Masters and joined the fray. I realized I dont need to be on the range for hours; I need to play. They are unarguably made for each other. [11] He followed it up with a T8 at the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship, and secured Special Temporary Member status after the Bermuda Championship in early November. He spent much of his teenage golfing years playing junior tournaments in Texas alongside his friend Jordan Spieth. He lost a sudden-death playoff to Luke List when List hit his approach shot to a foot away from the first playoff hole and made birdie. Its just because of the efficiency now of how I push into a golf ball.. Oosthuizen is teetering on the brink of missing three majors in 2023. After withdrawing from the 2021 Open Championship due to a muscular issue, he finished T8 in his next start, the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational three weeks later. Zalatoris took a while to collect his first PGA Tour win, but his rookie year was one for the ages. Get the latest D-FW sports news, analysis, scores and more. But the speeds the same; everything feels really good. Sandler tweeted Have fun today young man. He was named the 2017 ACC Player of the Year and 2017 First-Team All-American. The newly married couple posed for the camera, standing side by side with Will Zalatoris' hands resting on his wife's waist. Aiming for his first PGA Tour win, Zalatoris might make the 2022 PGA Championship his first title. Will Zalatoris finished second at the Masters in his first time playing Augusta National. Kim is the first player since Tiger Woods to win twice on TOUR before turning 21. PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, and the Swinging Golfer design are registered trademarks. He had a 25-foot putt for the win on the 18th on the first playoff hole and had to make a 7-footer the second time around to stay in the game. During Zalatoris rehab process, his routine might have looked like have a few putts and then maybe need to go grab a few beers with my boys. But hes an unabashed golf addict who will eagerly play four or five events in a row. The Players Championship will be contested next week without its biggest draw. He even had his favorite spot right off the 18th hole where hed strategically place himself to get autographs from his favorite players. 27 in the Official World Golf Rankings, earned a spot in the tournament through local qualifying, had to withdraw in his British Open debut because of an injury he suffered late in his first round, proposed to his long-time girlfriend Caitlin Sellers, fellow 25-year-old DFW golf star Scottie Scheffler, getting initial golf instruction from former U.S. Open champion Ken Venturi as a 6 year old in San Francisco, they were pains from an inflamed appendix, he earned a spot in the field of the 2015 Northern Trust by winning a collegiate showcase, the title he has reserved for former Cowboys QB Tony Romo, 10 things to know about Scottie Scheffler: 25-year-old Masters champ has taken golf world by storm, 10 things you may not know about Jordan Spieth, including how he battled a shark, getting asked out by Miss Texas in a freestyle rap, Find more golf coverage from The Dallas Morning News here, The Cowboys are closer than you think to a total makeover at running back, Why Rangers cautious approach with pitchers in spring training could still be risky, Jerry Jones talks Dak Prescotts Tom Brady-esque qualities and more from the NFL combine, Luka Doncic-Kyrie Irving duos on-the-fly rapport gets test from Kevin Durant, Suns, A week after torching the Stars, Max Domi joins Dallas in its march toward the playoffs, DeSotos chase for third straight title continues after rout of Pearland in 6A semifinals, UIL boys basketball playoffs (6A): Tre Johnson, Lake Highlands shine; DeSoto defense rises, 2023 UIL girls state basketball: Schedule, previews and more for Dallas-area teams, 2023 UIL girls basketball state tournament pairings: See schedule for semifinal matchups, 2023 UIL boys basketball regional tournament pairings: See schedule for Dallas-area teams, 3 children killed, 2 wounded at Ellis County home; suspect in custody, How a Texas districts reaction to school shooting fears highlights discipline concerns. Heading into the PGA Championship, Zalatoris had four top-10 finishes in his first seven career major championship appearances. At the end of the 2021 season, Zalatoris was named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year an accomplishment nobody would have expected at the start of the year, given the fact that Zalatoris didnt even had a PGA Tour card. Will Zalatoris watches his putt on the 9th. Will Zalatoris was born August 16, 1996, to his parents, Richard Zalatoris and Catherine Zalatoris. The former Wake Forest star and 2014 U.S. He got treatment on the course but withdrew on the next hole when the pain did not subside. For the first time in 138 days, Will Zalatoris will play a PGA Tour event this week at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. It was nice because I was able to bring the ball flight down; living in Texas, youre used to hitting the ball low, but its doing it by itself as opposed to having to manipulate it. Zalatoris qualified for the upcoming Sentry Tournament of Champions by winning his first PGA TOUR title at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Im more efficient in my golf swing, he said. [2] He attended Wake Forest University in North Carolina, and was named ACC Player of the Year in 2017. Sitting in a hospital bed on the Monday morning of the tournament, Zalatoris had to make one of the toughest phone calls of his life when he dialed up tournament director Jon Drago and withdrew from the tournament. Luckily for Zalatoris, Nelson organizers honored the exemption the following year and he made the start as a 19 year old. If that doesnt sound like a household name to you, dont worry. He tends to push off his right side later than most; with his level of side bend, his right hip is high with his spine tilted back. The shutdown simplified things.. ET in the final group with Mito Pereira. Born in San Francisco, California, Will Zalatoris was introduced to the game early on playing with his parents at California Golf Club. Weve looked at everything I was doing, to make sure I was doing all the right things and we were checking all the boxes, and it was strictly a motor pattern thing, said Zalatoris, who has opted to temporarily decrease his driver length (to approximately 44.75 inches, down from 46 inches) as he works through the setup change. It ended up being the second PGA Tour event of his career he earned a spot in the field of the 2015 Northern Trust by winning a collegiate showcase. And that would keep alive a crazy stat: of the seven major championships played at Southern Hills, all were won by a player who led or co-led the tournament through 36 holes. Zalatorisand his playing partner, Emiliano Grillo, let the group of Sam Burns and Adam Hadwin through as they waited for the PGA Tour physio. WD = withdrew NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic. 1, a loaded LPGA field and more to watch in golf this week, Here's everything you missed this week in professional golf, Jin Young Ko up by 2 in Singapore title defense, Quigley fires 65 for early lead in PGA Champions, Kitayama handles windy Bay Hill as Rahm falters, Tiger not part of field for next week's Players, Young stretches lead to 4 in Puerto Rico Open, Rahm stays hot, finishes strong for Bay Hill lead, Rookie Young captures Puerto Rico lead with 63. Topics of discussion included how Zalatoris seems to always step it up in majors as well as what its like to play in a group behind Tiger Woods. Nevertheless, his first win would not be an easy one. The couple, who have been dating for a long time, announced their engagement back in April 2021 and have since been very vocal about their relationship. Szokol opens with 64, up 3 shots in Singapore, More PGA Tour changes: No cuts, smaller fields, Rahm sought Tiger's advice on staying No. Your login session has expired. 1 spot in the FedEx Cup, assuring him a reasonable shot at the $18 million prize in two weeks. But. The event was the first of three events in the 2022 FedEx Cup Playoffs, With his win, Zalatoris moved to first in the FedEx Cup standings ahead of Scottie Scheffler.[17]. Amateur Championship titled "Junior talent flourishing on national scale. CUT = missed the half-way cut Zalatoris took that attitude all the way to the final group on Saturday. 7 World Ranking. Zalatoris experienced a string of close calls last year - namely six top-six finishes in an eight-event stretch, including runner-up finishes at the PGA Championship and U.S. Open - before his. Start the Golf Season off right with InsideGOLF ($100 value - just $20). Despite his big win, Zalatoris still has not received his PGA . Zalatoris is no longer the best on the PGA Tour without a victory. Zalatoris who grew up in San Francisco, got his start in golf as a youth at the California Golf Club, went to college at Wake Forest and now makes his home in Texas combines the perfect . Are they right? He did not participate in last weeks event, however. Will Zalatoris walks back to the crowd with his arm around his fianc after winning his first PGA tournament during the last day of the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tenn., Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022. Among his eight top-10s are three runners-up, including at two majorsthe PGA Championship and U.S . We basically kind of went through a whole assessment of seeing where Im at and it was really I think keeping longevity in mind as opposed to anything else. Suddenly the close-call narrative was put to bed he memorably exclaimed, What are they gonna say now! upon draining a par putt on the 72nd hole to force a playoff with Sepp Straka at TPC Southwind. Born in San Francisco, California, Will Zalatoris was introduced to the game early on playing with his parents at California Golf Club. Critics say new PGA Tour events copy LIV. Thursday afternoon in Hawaii cant come soon enough. Will Zalatoris spent his weekend on the greens, but not the one he's used to. A bad back is keeping the 26-year-old from competing in the Presidents Cup after qualifying for a spot at Quail Hollow. And that would keep. Glover closed with a 66 and wound up in a tie for third. Junior Amateur in 2014. Scott is the Breaking News Editor for the Dallas Morning News. https://t.co/R1e8awZIvh. Back in 2015, he finished T4 at the Pacific Coast Amateur shortly after returning from an emergency appendectomy. After years of dating, the couple finally tied the knot and shared the good news with Will's 256K Instagram followers. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. A post shared by Will Zalatoris (@willzalatoris). A Golf Channel article said Zalatoris was seeking to return at the Hero World Challenge. Also moving into the top 70 were Adam Scott, Andrew Putnam and Wyndham Clark, who had reason to think he had thrown away his chances when he played a four-hole stretch in 4-over par and had to save par on the 18th for a 72. But as Nelson week grew closer, those feelings the teenager were experiencing werent butterflies they were pains from an inflamed appendix. Zalatoris zoomed up the leaderboard Friday with a second-round 65 to take the solo lead at 9 under. Pro V1x Titleist Golf Ball. 121, knowing that only the top 70 advance to the next tournament. GOLF.com and GOLF Magazine are published by EB GOLF MEDIA LLC, a division of 8AM GOLF, Back from injury, Will Zalatoris reveals swing fix that took stress off his back, What is Jim Nantzs career lowlight? Let him tell you about adult film, Its f hard: Jon Rahm comes back to Earth at brutal Bay Hill. "Add the nerves of competing for a tournament to that, especially for a playoff event, and yeah, it can get a little crazy.". Now having finally collected a Tour win, Zalatoris will enter the top 10 in the world for the first time, further solidifying him as one of golfs rising stars. How much "louder" will LIV Golf get in its second season? The former Wake Forest star was in third position in the FedEx Cup playoffs points standings and was slated to start 3 strokes behind leader Scottie Scheffler in his first appearance in the Tour Championship, which begins Thursday. I think Ive just been so close so many times, so I think, if anything, after having the time off, its kind of hard to remind myself of all the second places.. Mr. Gilmore is watching you and very proud., Zalatoris handled it with good humor, responding to Sandler by saying If youre ever in need of a caddie again let me know. This is the best of the best, Zalatoris said Tuesday ahead of the tournament. But the speeds the same, everything feels really good.. Follow Kevin Prise on Twitter. Junior Amateur title in 2014. Zalatoris, 26, hasn't teed it up since withdrawing during the third. He tried to play through the injury but withdrew on the next hole. They checked with Smith, who confirmed it was touching the line. He had no realistic shot. He is set to return pretty soon. So it was actually kind of a nice fix.. TULSA, Okla. Will Zalatoris is looking to keep the Southern Hills major streak alive. Ranking all 30 Tour Championship players, The 30 players headed to the Tour Championship and finale of the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup playoffs, Author of seven books on college football. It was quite the scene at Wilmington (Del.) "Considering all those close finishes, it means a lot.". Zalatoris came close to sending the U.S. Open to a playoff on Sunday, only to finish disappointed once again. Zalatoris breakthrough at Augusta was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to strong showings at major championships. Much like fellow 25-year-old DFW golf star Scottie Scheffler (who was born in New Jersey but moved to the Metroplex when he was in elementary school), Zalatoris was born outside of the Lone Star State but moved to Texas as a youngster and thrived in the local golf scene. 8:12 AM on May 21, 2022 CDT Updated at 11:37 PM on Aug 14, 2022 CDT. He was the highest-ranked player in the world without a TOUR win before beating Sepp Straka in a playoff at TPC Southwind. Caitlin and Will got married in an intimate ceremony earlier this week. "T" = tied Zalatoris entered Augusts BMW Championship in the advantageous No. The Korn Ferry trademark is also a registered trademark, and is used in the Korn Ferry Tour logo with permission. MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The 10-foot par putt in regulation was so crucial and the moment so important that Will Zalatoris doesn't remember screaming out when he made it, "What are they gonna say now?". Already a force in the majors, Zalatoris got that first win out of the way with clutch putts and smart decisions to beat Sepp Straka and capture the first FedEx Cup playoff event. But he took up his teammates offer to come out and hang with the team for a . Meanwhile, No. Id go to the course, carrying my bag, playing with my buddies, just trying to beat the crap out of each other. For the first time in 138 days, Will Zalatoris will play a PGA Tour event this week at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. I love you., On Tuesday, also via Instagram, Zalatoris posted a photo of the happy couple with the caption, Cant wait to spend the rest of my life with my best friend. 70 by three points. Yes, as a 14-year-old kid. At the time, Zalatoris was leading the FedEx Cup after capturing his first PGA Tour win a week earlier in Memphis. He then withdrew from the following weeks TOUR Championship, finishing a disappointing 30th in the FedExCup after entering the week at No. Zalatoris won on the third playoff hole. [16], On August 14, 2022, Zalatoris won his first PGA Tour event, winning the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee on the third playoff hole against Sepp Straka. Stars are everywhere on the leaderboard heading into the weekend at Bay Hill. At seventh in the Presidents Cup points standings, he likely would have been among the six . Player Profile: Birthplace. The two met at Wake Forest, where Zalatoris played college golf for three seasons before turning pro in 2018. Straka, already a winner this year in the Honda Classic, narrowly missed a 20-foot birdie putt for the victory on the 18th for a 67. The shorter driver allows him more time to bring a potential right miss back on line, he said. Aiming for his first PGA Tour win, Zalatoris might make the 2022 PGA Championship his first title. Zalatoris won't be replaced in the 30-man field at East Lake and will receive a $500,000 bonus. Will and family moved to Dallas, Texas when he was 9 years old and he began working hard on his game while competing in top junior tournaments. Will Zalatoris and Caitlin Sellers are considered among the most beautiful couples in the sports world. Will had an outstanding collegiate and amateur career, which included representing the United States on the 2017 Walker Cup team at Los Angeles Country Club and winning 4 collegiate titles. Zalatoris sat atop the FedExCup standings after winning the FedEx St. Jude Championship, but he had to withdraw early in the third round of the following weeks BMW Championship. He has displayed a good feel for the golf course (particularly the greens) and opened with rounds of 70-68. Will Zalatoris is looking to keep the Southern Hills major streak alive. Zalatoris had to have an emergency appendectomy. Zalatoris had four runners-up including three in major championships before winning in Memphis. As the news broke on the internet, fans jumped into the comments section of his post to congratulate the newlywed star. It was there that Zalatoris, a 24-year-old upstart that was playing in Korn Ferry Tour events just six months earlier, found himself battling it out with Hideki Matsuyama and fellow DFW product Jordan Spieth for a green jacket. I did a pretty deep dive with Damon, my trainer, with Dr. [Greg] Rose, Dr. Duffy, he said of his team. Ive learned a lot about my body, probably more than I think I ever wanted to, Zalatoris said Tuesday afternoon in Hawaii. He played his fourth shot out to 4 feet as Zalatoris was still going over his options. [3] In his junior year, Zalatoris was named All-ACC, First-Team GCAA All-American, First-Team Golf week All-American, Nicklaus Award finalist, Hogan Award semifinalist, played in all 12 events and had a scoring average of 70.14, third-best season average in school history. [13], In January 2022, Zalatoris tied for the lead of the Farmers Insurance Open after 72 holes. He has suffered two herniated discs and has been away from the game. It was actually nice because I was able to bring the ball flight down, which, I mean, I know living in Texas youre used to hitting the ball low, but its doing it by itself as opposed to having to manipulate it. Zalatoris shot 1-under 69 on Thursday, but on the 15th hole he drove into the thick rough. 34 and has a good chance of being part of the top 30 who go to the Tour Championship to play for that $18 million first prize. The Korn Ferry trademark is also a registered trademark, and is used in the Korn Ferry Tour logo with permission. Clark finished at No. But during the third round at Wilmington Country Club in Wilmington, Delaware, Zalatoris suffered a back injury on the third hole. Zalatoris called the process the "easiest 15 pounds [he's] ever put on." . Zalatoris led the TOUR last season in Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green, after ranking No. One of Zalatoris favorite stories to tell about the three is a time when he and Scheffler were 11 and they played a round with Spieth (who was 14 at the time) at Bent Tree. Spieth was three grades ahead of them growing up, but the three found themselves clashing on the junior circuit quite often. Zalatoris' first professional victory came in July 2020, when he narrowly won the TPC Colorado Championship by one stroke. He came shot consistently all weekend, shooting a 69 in each round Thursday- Saturday. Zalatoris was born in San Francisco, California, but his family moved to the Dallas, Texas, area . He hasnt been in a film in nearly 20 years, according to his imdb page. He finished tied with Scottie Scheffler at the U.S. Open behind Matt Fitzpatrick at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. According to Golf Monthly, Sellers has completed her post-graduate studies at the University of Texas and is most likely working as a marketing analyst. Zalatoris may be an only child, but he still has a big brother. Thats the title he has reserved for former Cowboys QB Tony Romo.