Why is Will Zalatoris missing from the 2023 FedEx St. Jude Championship field? Real reason behind defending champion’s absence explored

Defending champion Will Zalatoris will be absent from this year's FedEx St. Jude Championship, which begins on Thursday, August 10, at the TPC Southwind in Memphis.

Last year, Zalatoris beat Sepp Straka in the third extra hole at the TPC Southwind, his debut start in the FedEx Cup Playoffs. However, the golfer suffered a back injury during the third round of the BMW Championship and couldn't continue further in the Playoffs.

The Wake Forest University alum was forced out of action for the rest of the year. After healing from two herniated discs in his back, he returned to the golf course with the Sentry Tournament of Champions and did well to finish T11.

However, he could play only seven more events before suffering another injury and withdrawing from the Masters Tournament.

Following his withdrawal from the Masters, Zalatoris underwent back surgery in April. He informed fans about the surgery on Instagram, citing that he wouldn't be playing in the remaining PGA Tour season.

He wrote:

"After careful consideration and seeking multiple medical opinions, I underwent a successful microdiscectomy on Saturday. As much as I hate not being able to play the rest of this season, I am happy that I am already seeing the benefits of the procedure. Playing and living in pain is not fun.

"I look forward to making a full recovery and seeing everyone in the fall. Thank you to Dr. Michael Duffy, Dr. Tom Kelton, and their respective teams for getting me fixed. And, of course, thank you to everyone for the support and the messages. I look forward to getting back to 100%."

Zalatoris was recently seen at Wimbledon, where he gave a little update to the fans on his fitness.

He wrote:

"Wimbledon was incredible. Bucket list day with my Love. In golf news…I get to start chipping this week!"

In such a short span, Will Zalatoris has established himself as one of the best golfers. He was named the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year for the 2020–21 season, the year in which he made eight top-10 finishes. The 26-year-old also finished runner-up in the 2021 Masters, just one stroke behind Matsuyama.

In the following year, the San Francisco native made three runner-up finishes, two of which came at the majors. While he was joint runner-up at the 2022 US Open, he fell short of the PGA Championship in the playoff.

Fans will be hoping to see the talented young golfer back on the course soon to bag more titles.

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How has Will Zalatoris performed in the 2022–23 season? The golfer's results explored

Will Zalatoris lines up a putt on the 18th green during the final round of the 2022 Genesis Invitational

The American golfer played in eight events this season and made six cuts. His best result was T4 at the Genesis Invitational.

Here are Will Zalatoris' performances in the 2022–23 season:

• Sentry Tournament of Champions: T11
• The American Express: T36
• Farmers Insurance Open: CUT
• The Genesis Invitational:
• Arnold Palmer Invitational: T53
• THE PLAYERS Championship: 73
• World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play: T59
• Masters Tournament: W/D