‘Still Didn’t Feel a 100%’: As Will Zalatoris Breaks a 7 Month Hiatus, What Are the Major Three Takeaways From His Comeback?

The hype in the golfing world is slowly building up with the Hero World Challenge set to kick off from November 30th. Although the attention of the community is on the legend of the game, Tiger Woods, there is yet another golfer who will be returning to the greens after a break, the 27-year-old Will Zalatoris.

Unfortunately, the professional was on a long break owing to some injuries. This, in turn, led to the American being forced away from the gentleman’s game ahead of the Masters Tournament, earlier in 2023. And now, the 2014 U.S. Junior Amateur Champ is ready to tee it off at the tournament, what are the major takeaways one can gather from his hopeful return?

Will Zalatoris, the story of a successful recovery

Boasting a total of two professional wins including a victory in the PGA Tour at the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship, the golfer clinched the same before his back injury in 2022 that led to his subsequent withdrawal from the 2023 Major. Fortunately, after a seven-month break which started in April, the athlete is all set to tee it off at the Woods hosted event.

In an interview ahead of the competition, the 1X PGA Tour champ recounted his experience. The golfer reminisced about receiving a lot of help from others. He said, “I got a lot of really good advice from guys who had gone through the same thing and all of them said take your time.” The pro continued, “No one’s ever come back from an injury taking too long” all the while alluding to the grind he had to go through.

Adding on, Zalatoris also recalled how he “still didn’t feel a 100%” in January of 2023 when he came back after the injury for the first time. The 27-year-old also divulged how he was sort of on “cruise control for two years,” shining a light on the “mental side” of things, as he took a steady pace to work his way throughout his career. And, lastly, the 1X PGA Tour champ disclosed how he is now able to hit “ball speeds” that the athlete had back when he was “healthy.” 

Well, with a curious story similar to that of the legend of the game who also withdrew from the 2023 Major owing to his ankle injury, one can’t help but look on towards the professional as he gears up for the event. He sure has aroused the interest of many.

Zalatoris’ comeback at the Hero World Challenge

The golfer is all set to duke it out against the field of 19 players excluding him at the Albany Golf Course in the Bahamas. He has been paired up with Jordan Spieth and is set to tee off at 12:14 AM ET and would be looking to increase the number of his professional wins from two to three.

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The 27-year-old has equipped himself with the best, courtesy of his partner Titleist, and would be aiming to top the leaderboard of elites at the Hero World Challenge. Moreover, the community as a whole would indubitably be looking on at Zalatoris along with Woods as they hope to return to the game in grand fashion

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