After sidelining his back issues for months, Will Zalatoris took the difficult decision to stop playing the remainder of the 2022 Summer and focus on his health. The 2021 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year then underwent microdiscectomy surgery for his two herniated discs in April 2023 and took a long hiatus.

Zalatoris returned to the Hero World Challenge later in the season and seemed to fully recover from his injury woes starting the 2024 season. However, the 27-year-old was forced to withdraw from the CJ Cup Byron Nelson as his back issues were starting to hawk back. Has a similar situation occurred at the Rocket Mortgage Classic?

Will Zalatoris be going through another hiatus?

After shooting a 6 under 66 on the first day of the Rocket Mortgage Classic, Will Zalatoris shared how difficult it has been to find his form after the surgery and win again on the PGA Tour. “It’s been a grind this year, to put it mildly,” said the 27-year-old. Despite the hurdles. Zalatoris looked at the positive side and added that now he could play consecutively, unlike before.

The 2-time PGA Tour winner was making his fourth consecutive start at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and was hoping to make it to the end. However, Zalatoris had to withdraw during the third round. Has the back issue worsened? The manager of the PGA Tour pro, Allen Hobbs revealed that Zalatoris sustained a little discomfort after a swing and decided to withdraw from the event as a precaution.

WXYZ Detroit reporter Jeanna Trotman further posted Zalatoris’s manager’s statement on X which read, “It’s important that he listens to his body and gets some rest”. Hobbs has reassured the fans that Zalatoris hopes to return to the PGA Tour greens soon.

By the looks of it, Zalatoris’s withdrawal does not hint at a longer hiatus from the game. However, reoccurring back issues may cause his budding career to take a dip. A quick look at Tiger Woods’s career since his first microdiscectomy sheds light on how this surgery can affect a golfer’s game.

Analyzing the risk of microdiscectomy as in the case of Tiger Woods

Will Zalatoris has had only one microdiscectomy surgery in the last year. However, Tiger Woods has undergone five since he suffered from a pinched nerve in the back in 2015. Per the Neurosurgeon in New Jersey, a person might fully recover from the surgery, however, this kind of procedure has a risk of getting reoccurring herniated discs.

Thus, the 15-time major winner had to go through the procedure more than once. These back-to-back surgeries also affected Woods’s game as he rarely played any events and missed cuts even when he played. Even in the 2024 season, the 48-year-old has struggled to own his swing and fully play.

Comparatively, Zalatoris’s injury might not be as acute as Woods sustained. However, to avoid the risk of countering another herniated disc, the 27-year-old probably took the difficult decision to withdraw from the Rocket Mortgage Classic. The next event on the PGA Tour schedule is the John Deere Classic. There is a chance that Zalatoris might not play it either, and directly tee up at the Genesis Scottish Open.