Will Zalatoris undergoes back surgery again, will miss rest of season

Back problems are back for Will Zalatoris.

Fresh off a missed cut at last week’s PGA Championship, the 28-year-old underwent back surgery on Friday to repair two herniated discs and will miss the remainder of the FedEx Cup season, including the final two majors.

Zalatoris announced the news on Instagram on Monday, saying that he expects to be out of action until the fall. The procedure is a dejá vu for Zalatoris, who was sidelined for eight months after a microdiscectomy in spring 2023.

“Hey everyone, sharing a health update,” Zalatoris wrote in his post. “This spring, I started feeling some discomfort in my back that progressively got worse. Following the PGA Championship, an MRI showed that I had re-herniated two discs. After discussing the options with my medical team, I underwent surgery last Friday with Dr. Michael Duffy at the Texas Back Institute.”

On a Tour brimming with young talent, Zalatoris made an early statement in his career with six top 10s in his first nine major starts. He rose inside No. 7 in the world rankings and was leading the 2022 FedEx Cup race when back pain forced him out of the BMW Championship. He underwent his first back surgery the following spring after pulling out of the 2023 Masters and did not return to competition until early 2024. Despite the long layoff, he soon showed signs of his old form with a T2 finish at the 2024 Genesis Invitational, three shots behind winner Hideki Matsuyama. 

That summer, though, pain returned, this time in his hip, an injury that addled him throughout the year. In the offseason, hoping to better prepare his body for the wear and tear of the PGA Tour season, Zalatoris added 20 pounds of muscle to his wiry 6-foot-2 frame. 

Prior to Monday’s news, 2025 had been a mixed bag for Zalatoris. In 12 starts, he finished as high as T12 at The American Express. But he missed the weekend at both the Masters and the PGA Championship, and will now miss the U.S. Open and the Open Championship as well. 

In his Instagram post, though, Zalatoris struck an upbeat tone.

“I’m happy to say that I woke up feeling good (after surgery) and excited about my long-term back health,” he wrote. “Time to focus on my recovery and get back after it. Looking forward to seeing everyone in the fall!”