Will Zalatoris is officially out for the entire 2027 PGA Tour season, a devastating blow for a guy who once looked like the next big thing. The 30-year-old announced Wednesday that he’s going under the knife in November for spinal-fusion surgery to finally correct some brutal, lingering back issues. This isn’t just a minor setback, either. He told reporters at the Austin Championship media day that he’s been through “four years of hell,” and honestly, who could doubt him at this point? When three tour physical therapists tell you this has to happen, you know it’s serious.
Another Major Back Surgery for Zalatoris
This isn’t Zalatoris’s first rodeo with back problems, and that’s the absolute killer here. The upcoming spinal-fusion will be his third major back surgery since 2023. Back then, he had a microdiscectomy. Then, just two years later in 2025, he needed a disc replacement. It’s a brutal cycle for anyone, let alone an elite athlete. He put it perfectly himself, saying, “It’s all connected together, and I just want to get it fixed.” He even joked, “I’m the oldest 30-year-old you will ever meet,” but you can hear the frustration in that. He played only four tournaments on the PGA Tour in 2026, dealing with a torn labrum for a good chunk of the year, but it’s that nagging back issue that has truly kept him sidelined.
From Rising Star to the Sidelines
It’s just so tough to see because Zalatoris started his PGA Tour career in 2021 like a house on fire. The guy was making massive waves at major championships right out of the gate. We’re talking seven top-10 finishes in his first 10 major starts as a professional. That included runner-up finishes at the 2021 Masters, the 2022 PGA Championship, and the 2022 U.S. Open. He even snagged his maiden PGA Tour victory in the 2022 postseason with a playoff win at the St. Jude Championship. That remains his lone victory, though, and the very next week, he had to withdraw from the BMW Championship due to a back injury. It’s been a heartbreaking pattern ever since.
What’s next for Zalatoris is a long, uncertain road. He’s scheduled to play in the Austin Championship, November 12-15, which will be his first competitive start since the Texas Open in early April. After that, it’s surgery and then the grueling rehab. He’s been in contact with the Tour, and the hope is he can come back in 2028 and play in the Challenger Series if everything goes according to plan. We’re all rooting for him to get back out there, healthy and competing again.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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