Golf enthusiasts are not only delighted by the return of Tiger Woods to competition this week in the Bahamas, they also celebrate the comeback of Will Zalatoris, who has also been dealing with physical problems for over a year that persisted into early 2023 and has kept him on the sidelines for seven months.
The runner-up of the Masters 2021, the PGA Championship 2022 and the US Open 2022 will make his competitive reappearance at the Hero World Challenge after a long time of pain, frustrations and disappointments. The Californian resident in Texas could well have a more decorated record if it had not been for a back injury that stopped him in his tracks at the end of 2022.
Zalatoris was called to do great things in golf after a beastly evolution in 2021 and 2022. His big haul on the PGA Tour came when he overcame Sepp Straka in a playoff to win the FedEx St. Jude Championship in August 2022. However, just a few weeks later, he was forced to withdraw from the BMW due to back pain caused by two herniated discs. The injury not only put a premature end to his campaign, but also ruled him out for the Presidents Cup.
After a couple of promising results early in the year, the American headed to Augusta in April and had to withdraw minutes before starting to play, after which he underwent back surgery, which blew up his hopes of being on the United States team for the Ryder Cup in Rome. However, it finally seems that the former world number nine is in top shape and ready to kick-start his career.
And what better place to announce his return than Tiger Woods’ own event? In a post on his Instagram account in early November, Zalatoris said: “I’m very excited to play the Hero World Challenge in three weeks. It’s been a long year, so I’m glad to be able to play once more before this year ends and I hope to finish on a high note,” he concluded.
Likewise, the World Number One, Scottie Scheffler, will compete for the first time since the Ryder Cup. The American has finished second in the Hero World Challenge the last two years.
