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Zalatoris' Continued Back are Painfully Sad 

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Zalatoris' Continued Back are Painfully Sad 

I truly feel bad for Will Zalatoris (Titleist Pro V1x) who will need spinal-fusion surgery to repair his back and will be sidelined for at all of 2027. This will be his third major back surgery since 2023.

Zalatoris is only 30, far too young to have chronic back issues that have put his golf career on hold and potentially affect his quality of life.

He showed promise when he turned pro in 2018 and placed second to Hideki Matsuyama (Srixon Z-Star XV) in the 2021 Masters and named the 2020-21 PGA Tour rookie of the year.

The following year he placed second in the PGA Championship and U.S. Open. He also won the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

An interesting thing happened to him because he bore a resemblance to the actor playing the caddie in the 1996 movie Happy Gilmore, starring Adam Sandler. He sent Zalatoris a text following his Masters runner-up finish. He issued another tweet following Zalatoris’ first PGA Tour win, the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship.

Sandler cast Zalatoris in the Happy Gilmore sequel, which included several prominent PGA Tour stars. Zalatoris was given the biggest role, and in one memorable scene Happy asked if Zalatoris if he would caddie for him. Zalatoris said his name is Will and is not caddying anymore and would be playing against him.

Zalatoris leaned into the role in a comedic way. He even had a quote, MR. GILMORE IM YOUR CADDY, from the film stamped on his Titleist Vokey WedgeWorks lob wedge.

People who didn’t know Zalatoris as a PGA Tour player approached him, thinking he was an actor.

Life was good for Zalatoris, but the latest news about his back is reason to feel sympathetic for him. He’s had various starts and stops in his career in recent years, and you have to wonder if he will ever return to his solid form, or he will even play again.

Anyone who has ever had a back issue, even a minor one, knows how painful it can be. Rest and some physiotherapy can usually help to correct the problem. I can’t imagine what Zalatoris or any elite golfer has to endure to play. Golf is a sport that places so much stress on the back. You see PGA Tour players hitting the ball with so much torque to produce ball speed and you wonder how they do it without turning the backs into a corkscrew. I think of Bryson DeChambeau (Titleist Pro V1x Double Dot). Then there are players such as Ludwig Aberg (Titleist Pro V1x) and Corey Conners (Titleist Pro V1), who have fluid and effortless swings.

That’s why I personally wish Zalatoris the best in his recovery. He serves as a reminder that golfing can be fun, but it could also be painful.
Perry Lefko
Perry Lefko
Perry Lefko is an award-winning writer who has published nine books, three of them bestsellers. He has been involved in sports writing for more than 35 years and has interviewed many superstar athletes. He lives in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada and enjoys watching golf and playing it.

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