He was one of the big favourites this week at the THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, a PGA Tour tournament held at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, but a relapse in his back problems has forced him to withdraw, as he himself announced on his social networks. Will Zalatoris will not be part of the game this Thursday, leaving everyone in suspense due to his history of injuries in recent times.
The Californian golfer had played three consecutive weeks, but apparently, his back needed rest and recovery. Zalatoris, 27 years old, underwent a microdiscectomy a year ago, which kept him out of action for nine months. “I’m frustrated to miss a tournament that I’ve enjoyed going to since I was nine years old,” he said when his absence was confirmed.
“The Nelson and the Club Salesmanship have been very important to me throughout my career as a player and I hope to win Mr. Nelson’s trophy one day. My back needs some rest and recovery. I’m ahead of schedule according to my doctors, but unfortunately the first six months back are the most important for the long-term health of my back. I have to be cautious to make sure I don’t lose a lot of time again,” he added.
“I hate that a relapse has happened just during one of my favourite weeks of the year, but we knew that something like this was a possibility at the beginning of my return to golf,” he concluded. Will played alongside Sahith Theegala at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans last week, missing the cut, and was planning to do so this week at the TPC Craig Ranch.
Zalatoris ranks 16th in this year’s FedExCup standings, with top 10 results in the Genesis Invitational (T2), the Arnold Palmer Invitational (T4) and the Masters (T9), encouraging signs after a three-quarter hiatus due to an injury that began with a withdrawal at the Masters 2023 just before his tee time; he underwent the aforementioned microdiscectomy just 48 hours later.
The Californian moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area with his family when he was a primary school child and has adopted local teams such as the Dallas Cowboys and the Dallas Stars (although he retains interest in the Golden State Warriors and the San Francisco Giants from his youth in the Bay Area).
He debuted at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson in 2016, when he was still a university student at Wake Forest. He has participated four times in this event, with a T17 in 2021 and three missed cuts. He returned to the Dallas area after college and often practices at clubs in the area, including Maridoe Golf Club, Dallas National and Brook Hollow. He will have to wait until 2025 to play this tournament that motivates him so much again.
