When Will Zalatoris left Colorado after the BMW Championship in August, he weighed 163 pounds—not necessarily a robust weight for a 28-year-old who is 6 feet 2 inches tall.
People knew this too, so some fans have joked with Zalatoris that he has only a ‘22-inch waist.’ Others have compared him to Happy Gilmore’s caddy, an analogy that most may not take too kindly.
Hence, Zalatoris decided to do something about it this past Fall. He was “tired” of those comments and hit the weight room hard. When he left home for this week’s Sentry in Maui, the number on Zalatoris’ scale read 182.
“It’s been a lot of work, a lot of work in the gym, just making sure that — You know, longevity, obviously I could stand up on any tee and pop off a 180 ball speed, but I want to do that for as long as I can,” Zalatoris explained.
“Hopefully, this is something that’s going to help in the long term.”
Before last month’s Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa, where Zalatoris last played professionally, the former Wake Forest standout revealed that he consumed 4,500 calories and 200 grams of protein daily. Instead of playing, he focused on his diet and workout schedule all Fall.
“I have worked probably the hardest I ever have,” Zalatoris admitted then.
His gym sessions and dieting have paid off so far. Zalatoris fired an 8-under 65 on Thursday at The Sentry and trails Tom Hoge by a stroke. Better yet, Zalatoris said that he has never felt better after a round, which is quite an accomplishment considering the tremendous contours of Kapalua. Walking up and down those Hawaiian hills is no easy task.
“I was kind of laughing because going up the 9th — our worst walk we have all year — and normally I’m huffing and puffing. But I was like, ‘Okay, I know it’s Thursday, and we’ve been off awhile, but that’s the best I’ve felt,’” Zalatoris said.
“So it’s felt really good. I really haven’t had to get a cortisone shot or anything in a while, so this is the best I’ve felt.”
If fans recall, a year ago at this time, Zalatoris was returning to the tour after a lengthy back injury. He heard something pop on the driving range at Augusta National the previous April — a mere 20 minutes before his first-round tee time at the 2023 Masters — and 48 hours later, Zalatoris sat in a hospital bed awaiting a back operation. The injury sidelined him for nine months, and Zalatoris opened the 2024 season with a missed cut at the Sony Open in Hawaii. But he regained his 2022 form over the ensuing month, posting a T-13, a T-2, and a T-4 at Torrey Pines, Riveria, and Bay Hill.
But he still felt anxious about his back. He swings so hard, leaving his lanky vertebrae susceptible to problems that could stymie him for years. Just ask Tiger Woods about that.
“I think the best way I could describe how I’m feeling [right now], compared to where I was before this weight gain, was I thought I was at 100 percent, and it still didn’t feel good,” Zalatoris added.
“I would have to take a couple of days off and rest my back or get a bunch of treatment. Not doing that anymore. It’s hard when you’re limiting your practice to then go out and play against the best players in the world. So now I think the beauty of it is I’m trying to do this for longevity; I’m not doing this for distance. If you look at my numbers, they’re all the same, but it feels so much better.”
Building up strength in his back will help prevent him from future injuries. But it will also prevent him from missing entire seasons, like he did two years ago. It’s a win-win overall, and his strenuous efforts have paid dividends thus far.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.
