By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, Stand with us in our mission to discover and uncover the story of North Texas, 10 things to know about Will Zalatoris, including his first PGA tour win, the 36-hole leader at the 2022 PGA Championship, ultimately falling short of his first major championship after losing to Justin Thomas in a three-hole playoff, ultimately fell one shot short of Matsuyama and finished in solo second place, good for a payday of $1,242,000, No. He spent much of his teenage golfing years playing junior tournaments in Texas alongside his friend Jordan Spieth. [9] The win moved him to the leader on the Korn Ferry Tour points list and qualified him for the U.S. Open at Winged Foot. Tyler Lauletta. I basically am trying to get more, be a little bit more centered as opposed to having kind of ball forward with more spine tilt at address, he said. The first event of 2023 also could be Will Zalatoris first start since August. CUT = missed the half-way cut Mark Wahlberg pours tequila for fans at Dallas restaurant during thunderstorm, 12 Dallas-Fort Worth restaurants that have closed in 2023, Dallas Cowboys focused on adding another dynamic offensive weapon, UIL boys basketball playoffs (4A/3A): Faith Family stays composed; Carter finds rhythm. It made us all really sharp. He has displayed a good feel for the golf course (particularly the greens) and opened with rounds of 70-68. 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. As the news broke on the internet, fans jumped into the comments section of his post to congratulate the newlywed star. Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images. Im always available for you, Mr. Gilmore. Copyright 2023 PGA TOUR, Inc. All rights reserved. Zalatoris, a native of the San Francisco Bay Area and a big Warriors fan, said his Stephen Curry-inspired retort was directed at all who have criticized his putting over the years. The former U.S. Open champion came into the FedEx Cup playoffs at No. He can be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com. In 2009, @dallasnews ran an advance for the 2009 U.S. Oops! He shared the good news via his official Instagram page on December 13. He came shot consistently all weekend, shooting a 69 in each round Thursday- Saturday. Zalatoris has played just 40 holes since his thrilling playoff with Straka in the opening event of this years FedExCup Playoffs. A month before his Masters breakthrough in 2021, Zalatoris was surprised by Romo with a congratulatory message for qualifying for The PLAYERS Championship. He also fell short of winning the 2022 U.S. Open, with Matthew Fitzpatrick making Zalatoris a major runner-up for the third time. 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. Will Zalatoris is set to make his first TOUR start since the BMW Championship last August. A closer look: For a while, Zalatoris was known as the golfer with the most money and the best ranking who had never won a PGA Tour event. For the time being, Zalatoris said hes using a 44.75-inch driver shaft, down an inch and a quarter from his former 46-inch gamer. Zalatoris was four shots off the lead at Wilmington (Del.) ET in the final group with Mito Pereira. PGA TOUR players on Scottie Schefflers breakout season. Will Zalatoris has withdrawn from the TOUR Championship with two herniated discs in his back. How much "louder" will LIV Golf get in its second season? Zalatoris took a while to collect his first PGA Tour win, but his rookie year was one for the ages. He had to sit out the Presidents Cup but did appear on-site to cheer on the U.S. It took three playoff holes to get the answer on Sunday in the FedEx St. Jude Championship, and it was more along the lines of what they won't say. December 1, I think, was the first day I was cleared for full activity, and really just have been doing as much as I can since then not being able to have a club in my hand for a couple months, I dont think Ive done that probably since I was 8 or 9. Junior Amateur in 2014. The comparisons got so mainstream that even Adam Sandler, star of Happy Gilmore, tweeted Zalatoris during the 2021 Masters and joined the fray. Get the latest D-FW sports news, analysis, scores and more. The shutdown simplified things.. Zalatoris won on the third playoff hole. Something went wrong while submitting the form. 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. Top 100 Courses in the U.S.: GOLFs all-new 2022-23 ranking is here! 3. Zalatoris was voted PGA Tour Rookie of the Year for the 202021 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. He is fully focused on getting healthy and back onto the course as soon as he is able.". After years of dating, the couple finally tied the knot and shared the good news with Will's 256K Instagram followers. 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. [15], In June 2022, Zalatoris had another second place in a major championship. He previously worked for the DMN sports department from 2010-2022, where he served as SportsDay's lead digital strategist and oversaw coverage of college sports, HS sports, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars, soccer and golf. Zalatoris led the TOUR last season in Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green, after ranking No. Will Zalatoris has been struggling with a back injury since August. He actually learned the way he generated power could have led to the back issues in the first place. Let us take your yoga routines to the next level with our 365 day challenge and programs schedule. Zalatoris zoomed up the leaderboard Friday with a second-round 65 to take the solo lead at 9 under. 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. That offer came in 2015, when Zalatoris was 18 years old. Critics say new PGA Tour events copy LIV. Being in contention as much as I was last year, theres just no better feeling than it, Zalatoris said Tuesday. Zalatoris, 26, was injured on the third hole of the third round of the BMW Championship on Saturday at Wilmington Country Club in Delaware. Spieth then birdied six of the next eight holes for a 29 on his way to a course-record 63. He . Wake Forest University College. September 14, 2022 4:18 pm ET Will Zalatoris had quite the year. PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, and the Swinging Golfer design are registered trademarks. I feel really good with everything, Zalatoris said. Aiming for his first PGA Tour win, Zalatoris might make the 2022 PGA Championship his first title. Follow Kevin Prise on Twitter. William Patrick Zalatoris (born August 16, 1996) is an American professional golfer. Its also the first of the PGA Tours new elevated events, with a $15 million purse. Will picked up his first professional victory in 2020 at the TPC Colorado Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour. Clearly ready to end the first-timers . The winner of the FedEx Cup championship receives $18 million. At seventh in the Presidents Cup points standings, he likely would have been among the six captain's choices for the team. Zalatoris moves into the top 10 in the world for the first time and takes the No. He secured membership for the remainder of the season on July 7 after a tie for third at the LECOM Health Challenge, and finished the regular season 60th in points, earning full status for the 2020 season.[8]. Stars are everywhere on the leaderboard heading into the weekend at Bay Hill. I mean, weve looked at everything that I was doing to make sure I was doing the right things and we were checking all the boxes and it was just strictly a motor pattern thing, which is kind of a good thing and a bad thing, because when I was hitting the ball the way that I was, its hard to want to change anything, but at the same time, I actually saw some benefits.. The Korn Ferry trademark is also a registered trademark, and is used in the Korn Ferry Tour logo with permission. 121, knowing that only the top 70 advance to the next tournament. Be the first one to comment on this story. "This course is where every shot you hit you're on the edge of your seat," Straka said. Will Zalatoris. Will Zalatoris spent his weekend on the greens, but not the one he's used to. Heading into the PGA Championship, Zalatoris had four top-10 finishes in his first seven career major championship appearances. Born in San Francisco, California, Will Zalatoris was introduced to the game early on playing with his parents at California Golf Club. Sandler tweeted Have fun today young man. Zalatoris entered Augusts BMW Championship in the advantageous No. When Zalatoris first broke onto the golf scene, golf fans on social media were quick to point out their favorite Zalatoris doppelgngers. TSR3 Titleist Driver. Im trying to get more centered over it and work more around my right side, so more a turn as opposed to a lateral shift. Zalatoris is among a notable list of first-time TOUR winners who have committed to the Sentry Tournament of. His tee shot hit the bank and then bounced seven times on the rocks before coming to rest. The two met at Wake Forest, where Zalatoris played college golf for three seasons before turning pro in 2018. Nothing was more wild than the final hole. Instead, it looks like the Sentry Tournament of Champions could be the site of his return. Zalatoris finds himself competing with other DFW stars like Spieth and Scheffler on a regular basis now that theyre all PGA Tour stars. 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.. [2] He attended Wake Forest University in North Carolina, and was named ACC Player of the Year in 2017. Smith was given a two-shot penalty when rules officials realized upon review that when he took a penalty drop in the third round, the ball was still touching the red hazard line. Kim is the first player since Tiger Woods to win twice on TOUR before turning 21. Born in San Francisco, California, Will Zalatoris was introduced to the game early on playing with his parents at California Golf Club. A huge break for Zalatoris? WD = withdrew "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. [12], In October 2021, Zalatoris shot his career low round (61) on the PGA Tour at the Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Mississippi. Zalatoris just missed earning one of the six automatic spots on the U.S. team for the Presidents Cup. Zalatoris had four runners-up including three in major championships before winning in Memphis. While Zalatoris isnt the biggest guy on tour hes listed by the PGA Tour at 6-foot-2, 175 lbs he said hes still largely avoided back injuries throughout his career, save one instance in July 2021. 1. He had attended every Nelson since he was 9 years old. In a picture shared on his Instagram page, Will Zalatoris was dressed in blue formals with a matching bow tie while his gorgeous wife Caitlin was in the limelight in her elegant white wedding gown. The former Wake Forest star and 2014 U.S. 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. Musician Gryffin congratulated the golfer in the comments section. For the first time in 138 days, Will Zalatoris will play a PGA Tour event this week at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. When tournaments started up, I was ready to go. Zalatoris took that attitude all the way to the final group on Saturday. So Im trying to get more centered over it and work more around my right side, so more of a turn as opposed to kind of a lateral shift, because like I said, when my right hip gets high and the spine tilts back, youre now all of a sudden creating all that stress on your back. PGA:How to watch|ESPN+ streaming|Leaderboard|Saturday tee times. That included events like the 2009 U.S. Luckily for Zalatoris, Nelson organizers honored the exemption the following year and he made the start as a 19 year old. 7 the season prior. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. [5] He left school after his junior year to turn professional. But those battles started long before they were competing for millions on golfs grandest stage. But the role most golf fans know van Snellenberg for is the role of Happy Gilmores caddie in the 1996 film Happy Gilmore. "Considering all those close finishes, it means a lot.". 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. The current leader in the FedEx Cup standings. Im more efficient in my golf swing -- so thats why the speed is the same with the shorter driver; its just because of the efficiency now of how I push into a golf ball.. 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. Zalatoris shot 1-under 69 on Thursday, but on the 15th hole he drove into the thick rough. Will Zalatoris withdrew from The 149th Open Championship on Friday, citing a back injury suffered while hitting out of heavy rough late in his opening-round 69. Amateur, when Zalatoris qualified as a 12 year old and competed as a 13 year old, alongside Scheffler and Spieth. [6], Zalatoris turned professional in 2018 but failed to make it past First Stage of the Korn Ferry Tour Q School. The bride completed her look with elegant makeup and open hair flowing down her shoulders. 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. But. Pro V1x Titleist Golf Ball. He didnt exactly take it easy during his time off. 1, LIV Golf's debut on The CW scores low ratings, How to watch PGA Tour's Arnold Palmer Invitational on ESPN+, Kirk wins Honda in playoff; 1st title since 2015, Howell (63) wins in Mexico for 1st title in LIV, Nicklaus: '24 schedule likely to aid Honda field, Siem ends 8-year wait for another Euro Tour title, Vu overcomes 6-shot deficit to win 1st LPGA title, What's to come in the FedEx Cup playoffs after a long-awaited win for Will Zalatoris, PGA Tour docks Smith 2 shots for bad drop, Here are the 70 players who advanced in the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup playoffs, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Zalatoris had to have an emergency appendectomy. Fitzpatrick made his first PGA TOUR win a major, claiming the U.S. Open at the same venue where he won the U.S. Hes also changed his setup to help fix some of his motor pattern issues that may have caused his injury. He has competed primarily on the PGA Tour, where he has won once, at the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship . Will and Caitlin stood on stairs decorated with green leaves and flowers, making an arc above their heads on an olive-colored wall. The Korn Ferry trademark is also a registered trademark, and is used in the Korn Ferry Tour logo with permission. It came up well short of the green, and as it bounced eight times along the stone facade separating dry land from the water, it . https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2022/05/21/will-zalatoris-mexican-food-veg-time-caddie-ryan-goble-2022-pga-championship/, Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic islands, Central America, Top 50 Classic Courses in Great Britain & Ireland, Top 50 Modern Courses in Great Britain & Ireland, led or co-led the tournament through 36 holes. Each morning, he ate a full breakfast at 6 a.m. and then waited until late in the evening to have a robust dinner. Junior Amateur champion announced his engagement to girlfriend Caitlin Sellers, also a Demon Deacon, with a series of pictures on Instagram back in April of 2021. So it was actually kind of a nice fix.. This week is a limited-field tournanment with only last years winners and Tour Championship qualifiers. Zalatoris told Golf Digest I was lucky. British Open champion Cameron Smith could have replaced Scheffler by winning and arrived at the TPC Southwind two shots out of the lead. An MRI revealed that Zalatoris, 26, had two herniated disks. He ranked top-three in both Total Driving and Greens in Regulation on the 2019 and 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour, as well. The shorter driver allows him more time to bring a potential right miss back on line, he said. He was the 36-hole leader at the 2022 PGA Championship before ultimately falling short of his first major championship after losing to Justin Thomas in a three-hole playoff. He recorded three 2nd Place finishes, nine Top-10 finishes, and ended the year ranked #7 in the Official World Golf Ranking. College career [ edit] Zalatoris was born in San Francisco, California. The Plano alum walked down the aisle with his long-term girlfriend, Caitlin Sellers, who has been his best friend. "T" = Tied Zalatoris qualified for the upcoming Sentry Tournament of Champions by winning his first PGA TOUR title at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Are they right? When my right hip gets high and the spine tilts back, youre all of a sudden creating all that stress on your back. Its just because of the efficiency now of how I push into a golf ball.. 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. [4] He was also a member of the U.S. Walker Cup team in 2017, teammates with future PGA Tour winners Collin Morikawa and Cameron Champ. Ill be better this time. $14,217,888 Career Earnings. The train of the wedding dress was spread over the stairs while she was holding white flowers in her hand. 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. And that would keep. Country Club, FedEx Cup leader Will Zalatoris withdraws from BMW Championship with injury, How can you argue were underpaid?: Will Zalatoris baffled by LIV cash craze, 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions: How to watch, TV schedule, streaming, tee times, What is Jim Nantzs career lowlight?' Straka, who played bogey-free over the final 13 holes in regulation, moves to No. During the 2021-2022 PGA Tour season, Will continued to rise in the world of golf. The two have been together for more than four years now after meeting at Wake Forest college in late 2018. He could have been referring to his runner-up finish to Hideki Matsuyama in the Masters last year or the playoff losses at Torrey Pines and at Southern Hills in the PGA Championship or most recently the putt that burned the edge of the cup that kept him from a U.S. Open playoff. Glover closed with a 66 and wound up in a tie for third. Country Club when he tweaked his lower back. Find classes that best matches your needs. Among his eight top-10s are three runners-up, including at two majorsthe PGA Championship and U.S . This is the first time Zalatoris has qualified for Kapalua. Ill be better this time. It figures Zalatoris struggled to reflect on his numerous close calls over the past three seasons. 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. However, the Sentry Tournament of Champions recently announced that Zalatoris is expected in the field for the event in early January. He had no realistic shot. After sustaining a back injury in the first round of the 149th British Open, Will Zalatoris has withdrawn from his debut at the championship. The Players Championship will be contested next week without its biggest draw. Impact Zalatoris played in his first tournament since tweaking his back at the BMW Championship in August. Will was voted the 2020-2021 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year by his peers. After attending Wake Forest for her undergraduate degree, Sellers went to the University of Texas to complete her Masters degree. "We're talking inches," he says. That win moved him to the top of the Korn Ferry Tour points list and he qualified for the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, where he finished 6th place. Before joining GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but also producing, anchoring and even presenting the weather. "I am beyond disappointed," he . But in the name of avoiding future injury, hes working through the proverbial process. 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A 24-year-old American golfer who isn't even on the PGA Tour yet won $1.2 million at the Masters and is reveling in his newfound fame. Back in 2015, he finished T4 at the Pacific Coast Amateur shortly after returning from an emergency appendectomy. Find more golf coverage from The Dallas Morning News here. So thats why my speed is the same actually with the shorter driver. Will Zalatoris WDs from British Open after feeling 'tingling' in his leg during first round. And I do it later than a lot of guys, so what that does for someone with a lot of side bend is that gets my right hip high and on my spines tilted back, and so as Dr. Rose said, duh, no wonder I had a back issue.. Im always available for you, Mr. Gilmore., If youre ever in need of a caddie again let me know. Country Club when Zalatoris was being worked on by a PGA Tour physiotherapist on the 5th tee before ultimately deciding the pain was too much. He was in the trees, close to a boundary fence on the 18th on the second playoff hole, when he wisely chipped out and made a 15-foot par putt. Copyright 2023 PGA TOUR, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. He is set to return pretty soon. pic.twitter.com/qtEj1JyZdL. 27 in the Official World Golf Rankings. 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. Straka won his first PGA TOUR title earlier in the year at The Honda Classic. I did a pretty deep dive with Damon, my trainer, with Dr. [Greg] Rose, Dr. Duffy, he said of his team. 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 also set the individual scoring average of 70.44 at Wake Forest University. 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.