KAPALUA (HI) – Will Zalatoris was just coming off his first win of his career at FedEx St. Jude Championship, when he had to withdraw from the third round due to a back injury that ended his season.
After an MRI showed two herniated discs in his back, he went from the highest to the lowest. He was unable to compete in the FedEx Cup Playoffs. It was a difficult process to get back on track.
He said, “I have learned a lot about myself and my body, probably more that I ever thought I could,”
Zalatoris, 26, ranked No. 7 in the Official World Golf Ranking will make his return to Kapalua Resort’s Plantation Course this week. This 39-man field includes winners and players who placed in the top 30 of the 2021-22 FedEx Cup points standings.
He said, “This tournament is probably the one I watched most growing up, just because you’re watching at night back home.” “It was so cool to finally see some holes after years of watching it on TV.
Zalatoris married Caitlyn in December and is eager to return to competition after a 12-week layoff. Zalatoris claimed that he suffered from boredom and watched so many TV shows, he thought he had found the end of Netflix.
He said, “Not being in a position to hold a club for a couple of months was, but I don’t believe I’ve done that probably ever since I was eight or nine.”
Zalatoris took a deep look into his back and found the cause. He was referred to Dr. Greg Rose by Zalatoris, who is co-founder of Titleist Performance Institute, and one of the top strength and conditioning experts in golf. Rose performed a thorough assessment, and found that the back injury was due to a motor pattern. This is the way Zalatoris pushes off his right-hand side. There wasn’t any structural problem with his back. Rose made some adjustments to ensure his long-term success in the game. However, this didn’t make it any easier.
It’s difficult when you’re No. 1 player Strokes gained: tees to green this year or Approach, to want a go-in and say, “hey, you need some changes,” Zalatoris stated.
He discovered that he pushes his right side off later than other players, creating a lot more “side bend.” This led to him having a tendency of getting his right hip high and tilting his spine back.
Zalatoris stated, “Dr. Rose said, ‘Duh, no wonder’ I had a backissue,”
“I am trying to be more centered and work around my right side. I’m trying to make it more of a turn than a lateral shift because, as I mentioned, when your right hip is raised and the spine tilts back you suddenly put all that stress on my back.
Zalatoris played again on December 1 and stated that he is using a driver that is one-quarter inch shorter than his 46-inch predecessor, but still produces the same clubhead speed.
Zalatoris spent Thanksgiving on the Big Island as a child with his family. He always dreamed of being able to play in the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Zalatoris stated that he felt like he was just trying to get to grips with the situation and will need to undergo more extensive rehab after round 2. He wouldn’t choose any other place.
He said, “This field is the best of all the best,” and referred to 17 of the top-20 in the world.
