Will Zalatoris has withdrawn from the TOUR Championship with two herniated discs in his back.
Zalatoris had previously withdrawn from last week’s BMW Championship during the third round. He tweaked his back on the third hole Saturday and attempted to play through the injury, but after vigorous stretching and attempted manipulations, he withdrew after the fourth hole. He was just four strokes off the lead at the time.
The 26-year-old entered the TOUR Championship at No. 3 on the FedExCup, set to begin three strokes behind Scottie Scheffler in the Starting Strokes format.
If all 29 players complete 72 holes at East Lake, Zalatoris will finish No. 30 on the FedExCup. The 30th position will receive $500,000 in FedExCup bonus money. No other player’s Starting Strokes will be impacted by Zalatoris’ WD.
Zalatoris will also miss the Presidents Cup next month as he rehabilitates and recovers; he stands No. 7 on the United States Team Standings and was expected to receive a Captain’s Pick.
Zalatoris’ agent Allen Hobbs released the following statement Tuesday:
“After Will’s withdrawal from the BMW Championship on Saturday, his medical team determined that the source of his back pain is two herniated discs. Unfortunately, this means that Will is unable to play this week at the TOUR Championship. He is also very disappointed that he will not have the opportunity to play in next month’s Presidents Cup, where he was hoping to play for Captain Love and represent the United States. Will would like to thank his fans, sponsors, the TOUR, and his team for all of their support. He is fully focused on getting healthy and back onto the course as soon as he is able.”
The Wake Forest alum earned his first TOUR title at this month’s FedExCup Playoffs-opening FedEx St. Jude Championship, defeating Sepp Straka on the third playoff hole at TPC Southwind. Zalatoris had previously recorded four career runner-up finishes on TOUR, including three at major championships. The 2021-22 season marked his first as a TOUR member; he competed in 2020-21 on Special Temporary Membership.