Up-and-coming star secures PGA Tour status in Bermuda with yet another strong performance

At last, Will Zalatoris is a PGA Tour member.

The 24-year-old has been among the hottest golfers in the world this year, and with a T16 finish at the Bermuda Championship, he secured special temporary membership on Tour. The status affords him the ability to accept unlimited sponsor’s exemptions and puts him in position to earn full status for next season if he can earn enough FedEx Cup points.

“Yeah, it’s exciting …  I’m glad I got it done (this) week,” Zalatoris said. “I wanted do this my whole life, so finally out here.”

Zalatoris began the year on the Korn Ferry Tour and was a dominant force on the developmental track. He made all 16 cuts in 2020, finishing with 14 top 25s, 10 top 10s and a victory at the TPC Colorado Championship.

His Tour starts during the fall series have been equally impressive. He made a statement at the U.S. Open with a T6 finish and he’s added two more top 10s in the time since. With his solid play in Bermuda, Zalatoris can finally call himself a PGA Tour member.

“It’s wild. I’ve always set goals and wanted to put a deadline on things,” Zalatoris said. “I frankly had never accomplished them at the deadline I ever wanted and to beat one finally in my career is pretty cool.”

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Now with status locked up, Zalatoris will shift his focus to finishing in the top 125 of the FedEx Cup standings to earn full status for the 2021-22 season. In 2018-19, that number was 376. Zalatoris currently owns 334 points.

Unless he can secure a sponsor’s exemption, the Wake Forest alum said he plans to attempt to qualify for the RSM Classic and Mayakoba Classic to close out 2020. If he can produce just one more solid finish, Zalatoris will all but lock up full status for the following season.

“It’s hard not to think about it,” Zalatoris said prior to the Bermuda Championship regarding his quest for status. “But the main thing is I want to keep playing as much as I can and keep building rhythm.”