Will Zalatoris Eyes Return To Pga Tour In 2026 After 'nightmare Of Three Years'

Will Zalatoris has apparently reached nan ray astatine nan extremity of nan tunnel. 

Following a bid of backmost surgeries, nan 29-year-old eyes a return to title connected nan PGA Tour successful 2026. 

"I'm already backmost playing, I’m grinding each day," Zalatoris told nan PGA Tour astatine nan elder tour’s Simmons Bank Championship. "Trying to get successful astatine slightest 18 [every day]. It’s been a agelong grind, don’t get maine wrong, but this is nan astir affirmative I’ve felt successful 3 years.”

Why was he taking successful a PGA Tour Champions event?

“I americium getting a batch of proposal this week connected nan PGA Tour Champions since location are a batch of guys pinch a batch of mileage connected their bodies,” Zalatoris said, “so I americium decidedly taking immoderate notes this week.”

Between 2020 and '22, Zalatoris had six apical 10s successful fields and earned his maiden Tour title astatine nan FedEx St. Jude Championship successful August 2022. A week later, however, he suffered 2 herniated disks successful his backmost and missed nan remainder of nan year. 

With lingering effects from nan injury, he opted for room successful April 2022 and has since made only 41 starts, pinch nan ailment ne'er afloat subsiding. So 4 months ago, he went nether nan weapon again, addressing different 2 herniated disks successful his back. His past commencement was nan PGA Championship, wherever he missed nan cut.

Now, emotion afloat patient for nan first clip successful astir 3 years, nan world No. 160 looks guardant to showing nan committedness he flashed successful his first fewer years connected Tour. 

“I consciousness for illustration nan nightmare of 3 years of backmost symptom is benignant of gone now, finally,” he said.