Men’s golf has shifted from the Olympics to the Wyndham Championship. Following Scottie Scheffler’s Olympic gold, the PGA Tour is back in action. As the golf world shifts its focus to the upcoming tournament, all eyes are on the talented field of players vying for a spot in the top 70 of the FedEx Cup standings so that they can play in the playoffs. Notably, Will Zalatoris is among them whose impressive skills have been hindered by a persistent back injury. Now, the golfer has opened up about his condition after his surgery last year.

“Yeah, you know, my back feels great,“ Will Zalatoris said with a hint of relief in the pre-tournament presser. It’s a statement that’s been a long time coming for the PGA Tour golfer, who has been battling a persistent back injury since 2022. Despite the setbacks, Zalatoris remained optimistic; moreover, he praised his surgeons for preparing him for the ups and downs of the healing process beforehand. 

“I think the one thing that my surgeons really did a good job was telling me that the first year, your recovery is going to kind of feel like a stock market, where it goes up and down, but the line of best fit is going to hopefully trend up,” he explained. Although it’s been frustrating for him not to be in contention and not performing at his best after the surgery in April 2023, he has remained focused on his long-term goals.

The 27-year-old iterated, “I don’t like being patient. I don’t like going out and, you know, not being in contention, like I’ve played the last three or four months. But it’s like I said, it’s also motivated me to get my body to where it needs to be and get my golf game back to where it needs to be.”

At the start of the year, he felt good and played several events successfully and even recorded T2 and T4 finishes at the Genesis Invitational and the Arnold Palmer Invitational. However, as the season went on, he experienced some anxiety at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and had to withdraw from the event.

Now, as Zalatoris looks to regain his form and push for the top spot at the Wyndham Championship, it’s worth taking a closer look at the journey that brought him to this point. 

Will Zalatoris’ injury woes from the past

Zalatoris first injured his back in 2022 at the BMW Championship, just a week after his breakthrough win at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. The injury forced him to take time off to rehab and make significant swing changes to alleviate pressure on his back. He made his return at the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions, where he showed promising signs with a T11 finish. 

However, the road to recovery was far from smooth. Zalatoris managed only one top-10 finish before undergoing season-ending surgery in April 2023. The procedure kept him out of action until last December’s Hero World Challenge, where he made his tentative return to competitive golf.

With his back finally feeling great and his determination renewed, Will Zalatoris is ready to take on the challenges of the PGA Tour once again. What’s your take on his unbreakable spirit as a true champion? Tell us in the comments section below.