Will Zalatoris out for rest of PGA Tour season after back surgery; Rory McIlroy withdraws
Will Zalatoris will miss the rest of the PGA Tour season after he had back surgery, the golfer shared with fans in an Instagram post published Monday.
"After careful consideration and seeking multiple medical opinions, I underwent a successful microdiscectomy on Saturday," the rising star wrote in a statement. "As much as I hate not being able to play the rest of this season, I am happy that I am already seeing the benefits of the procedure."
Zalatoris withdrew from the Masters on Thursday before play started, citing back pain. Shortly after getting his first Tour win at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in August, he bowed out of the BMW Championship in August with what was later diagnosed as two herniated disks. He missed several tournaments toward the end of last year.
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"Playing and living in pain is not fun," he continued. "I look forward to making a full recovery and seeing everyone in the fall."
The 26-year-old turned pro in 2018 and, besides his win, he has 18 Top 10 finishes and has been runner-up four times.
Rory McIlroy withdraws from RBC Heritage
Elsewhere on the PGA Tour, Rory McIlroy withdrew from this weekend's RBC Heritage tournament, the PGA announced on Monday. The reason for him bowing out was not disclosed.
There will not be a replacement for the No. 3-ranked player in the world and the tournament will play with a field of 143.
McIlroy, 33, failed to make the cut at the Masters, which was won by Jon Rahm.
The RBC Heritage is one of 17 designated events that the top 20 from the Player Impact Program are required to participate in with an allowance to miss one per season. The tournaments have higher purses ranging from $15 million to $20 million and are meant to ensure that the top golfers play against each other more consistently.
Designated events, also called elevated events, were introduced in the 2022-23 season in an effort that was led by McIlroy. He also missed the first elevated event of the season, January's Sentry Tournament of Champions.