AUSTIN — Will Zalatoris, who has battled injuries for much of his promising PGA Tour career, revealed more bad news during media day for the Austin Championship Wednesday. Zalatoris said he will undergo spiral-fusion surgery in Dallas next month to correct ongoing back issues and will miss the entire 2027 PGA Tour season.
“I’ve been through four years of hell so it’s good to have something that will hopefully correct it,” he said. “It’s not something you want to do, but when you have three Tour physical therapists tell you it needs to be done at some time, you go ahead and do it.”
Zalatoris, who has finished second in both the Masters and PGA Championship, and owns one PGA Tour victory, missed part of the 2026 season with a torn labrum, after recovering from his most recent back surgery in 2025.
“It’s all connected together and I just want to get It fixed,” he said. “I can’t promise anybody anything because of what I’ve been through. I’m the oldest 30-year-old you will ever meet.”
Zalatoris is planning to play the Austin Championship at Omni Barton Creek Resort on Nov. 12-15 before having surgery at the end of the month. It’s similar to the surgery Tiger Woods had done, but with a different surgeon in Dallas.
“I’m just working on the availably is the best part of ability phase,” he said. “I just enjoy the Tuesday-Wednesday practice rounds with the guys more than any Thursday-Friday rounds.”
Zalatoris said he hurt his back again in San Antonio this spring at the Valero Texas Open when he tried to play 27 holes in cool weather. After playing in Houston the week before, the San Antonio event was his last of the year.
“I’ve been in contact with the Tour, which has been great,” he said. “It looks like I can come back in 2028 and play in the Challenger Series if everything works like it should.”
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