Why is Will Zalatoris not playing in the 2023 PGA Championship?

The Masters - Preview Day 3
Will Zalatoris - 2023 PGA Championship

Will Zalatoris, a promising young golfer, confirmed last month that he will miss the rest of the PGA Tour season due to his back surgery. Will Zalatoris made the statement on social media, just days after withdrawing from the prestigious Masters tournament due to a severe back problem.

This terrible turn of events represents a big blow for the emerging star, who has been making waves in the golfing world with his outstanding exploits. Fans and teammates are already wondering how this absence will affect Zalatoris' promising career.


What did Will Zalatoris say in his tweet?

"After careful consideration and seeking multiple medical opinions, I underwent a successful microdiscectomy on Saturday," Zalatoris released in a statement. "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%." Will Zalatoris said in a tweet.

Will Zalatoris' challenges and triumphs

Will Zalatoris, the No. 8 player on the PGA Tour, has revealed that he will have a microdiscectomy treatment to relieve the agony caused by his herniated discs. This problem initially surfaced when Zalatoris backed out of the 2022 BMW Championship during the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Despite a four-month recovery period, it has become clear that the injury was more severe than anticipated.

Zalatoris made his comeback at the Tournament of Champions in early 2023, with mixed results. His outstanding final-round performance of 7-under 64 at the Genesis Invitational, though, catapulted him up the leaderboard and secured a top-five finish.

Unfortunately, Zalatoris' voyage will come to an end in 2023. Struggling during the Florida Swing, the brilliant golfer withdrew from the WGC-Match Play group stage and, as a result, backed out of the 2023 Masters. This was his first missed major championship since 2020.

Despite only having one PGA Tour victory, Zalatoris has left an indelible mark on the game's biggest stages. In his 10 major championship appearances, he has six top-10 finishes, including three runner-up finishes. Notably, Zalatoris placed second in both the PGA Championship and the US Open in 2022.

While Zalatoris' absence is definitely upsetting, fans and other players are looking forward to his return to the tour following a successful recovery from back surgery.

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