Ben Jared/PGA TOUR through Getty Photos
The harm bug is again for Will Zalatoris.
The gifted PGA Tour star, who first injured his again in 2022 and has struggled to remain wholesome since, is as soon as once more bowing out early from an occasion, this time on the Rocket Mortgage Traditional.
Zalatoris accomplished eight holes in his third spherical Saturday, making three bogeys, a double an two birdies (one approaching his last gap), earlier than he shook fingers with taking part in companions Nick Dunlap and Dylan Wu and retired from the occasion. He was 4 beneath for the event on the time after opening with a 66 Thursday.
CBS’ Amanda Ballionis reported on the community’s broadcast of the third spherical that Zalatoris felt a “pop” in his hip, stressing it was Zalatoris’ “good” hip. His “unhealthy” hip was the one close to his two herniated disks that brought on him to endure a microdiscectomy process in April 2023 after withdrawing from the Masters.
Zalatoris additionally instructed Ballionis that taking part in in his fourth occasion in as many weeks “lastly caught up with him.”
“Will skilled some discomfort after a swing in the present day and, out of utmost precaution, made the robust choice to withdraw,” Zalatoris’ supervisor Allen Hobbs mentioned in an announcement launched by the PGA Tour. “It’s essential that he listens to his physique and will get some relaxation. He hates to withdraw from the Rocket Mortgage Traditional and appears ahead to getting again out on the course quickly.”
Zalatoris is within the midst of his second comeback season after taking part in simply seven occasions earlier than present process season-ending surgical procedure in 2023. He was initially harm on the 2022 BMW Championship, the week after his breakthrough win on the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
After taking time without work to rehab and make swing modifications to alleviate strain on his again, Zalatoris got here again on the 2023 Sentry, the place he completed T11. He recorded one top-10 earlier than the April surgical procedure and didn’t return till final December’s Hero World Problem.
The 2024 model of Zalatoris overhauled his swing once more to attempt to shake the harm danger and had appeared to achieve success up to now. He notched an emotional runner-up on the Genesis Invitational in February and top-10s at each the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Masters.
As of late, whereas he had but to withdraw from a event this season, Zalatoris’ recreation had been betraying him a bit. Since Augusta, he hasn’t completed higher than T41 and missed the lower at each the Zurich Traditional group occasion and the U.S. Open.