ZALATORIS TO MISS 2027 SEASON FOR SPINAL FUSION SURGERY

Will Zalatoris will miss the entire 2027 PGA Tour season to undergo spinal fusion surgery in late November, according to his comments to reporters at the Austin Championship's media day. It will be his third major back surgery since 2023. Zalatoris said three Tour physical therapists had told him the procedure needed to be done at some point. He described the past four years of back trouble as difficult, saying he hoped the surgery would correct the problem. He said the decision had been under consideration for some time rather than being sudden. Spinal fusion involves joining two or more vertebrae together.

Zalatoris's back problems began shortly after he won his first PGA Tour title at the FedEx St Jude Championship in August 2022, before he withdrew from the following week's BMW Championship with a back injury. He underwent a microdiscectomy to treat a herniated disc in April 2023, returning to competition around nine months later at the Hero World Challenge in December 2023. He withdrew from the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in April 2024 because of a further back issue, then had artificial disc replacement surgery in May 2025. His 2026 season was also disrupted by a torn right hip labrum, a cartilage injury that supports the hip joint, limiting him to four PGA Tour events for the year.

Zalatoris said he could not guarantee the outcome of the latest procedure given his injury history, adding that he felt like "the oldest 30-year-old" people would meet. He said all his physical issues were connected and that his aim was simply to get the problem fixed. No return date beyond the end of the 2027 PGA Tour season has been given.