When Will Zalatoris left Colorado after the BMW Championship in August, he weighed 163 pounds, not exactly a solid weight for a 6-foot-2 28-year-old.
People knew that too, and some fans joked that Zalatoriz had a “22-inch waist.” Some liken him to Happy Gilmore's caddy, but this may not sit well with most people.
So this fall, Zalatoris decided to do something about it. He was “disgusted” by those comments and hit the weight room hard. When Zalatoris left home for this week's Maui Sentry, the number on the scale read 182.
“It was a lot of work, a lot of work in the gym, just making sure that — you know, living a long life, obviously I can stand on any tee and get 180 ball speeds. I can pop out, but I want to keep it going for as long as I can,'' Zalatoris explained.
“I hope this helps in the long run.”
Before Zalatoris last played professionally at last month's Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa, the former wake forest The standout revealed that he consumes 4,500 calories and 200 grams of protein every day. Instead of playing, he focused on his diet and training schedule throughout the fall.
“I probably worked the hardest I've ever worked,” Zalatoris admitted at the time.
His gym sessions and diet have paid off so far. Zalatoris shot an 8-under 65 at The Sentry on Thursday and trails Tom Hoge by one stroke. Even better, Zalatoris said he's never felt better after the round. Considering Kapalua's massive profile, this is quite an accomplishment. Climbing up and down the hills in Hawaii is no easy task.
“I kind of laughed because I climbed Day 9. This was the worst walk I've done this year. Normally I'm just holding my breath. But I was like, 'Okay, it's Thursday. I know it is, and I've had some time off, but I thought, 'This is the best feeling I've ever had,''' Zalatoris said.
“So I feel really good. I haven't had to get cortisone shots or anything like that in a while, so this is the best feeling for me.”
Fans may recall that a year ago at this time, Zalatoriz was returning to the tour after suffering a long-term hip injury. Last April, Zalatoris heard a popping sound on Augusta National's practice field — just 20 minutes before tee time for the first round of the 2023 Masters — and 48 hours later, Zalatoris was sitting in his hospital bed. I was waiting for hip surgery. Zalatoriz was sidelined for nine months with the injury and missed the opening round of the 2024 season at the Sony Open in Hawaii. But over the next month, he regained his 2022 form, posting T-13, T-2 and T-4 at Torrey Pines, Riveria and Bay Hill.
But he still felt uneasy about his back. He swings so hard that his spindly spine is prone to problems that could hold him back for years. Please listen to me for a moment tiger woods about it.
“I think that's the best way to explain how I feel.'' [right now]”I thought I was 100 percent of where I was before the weight gain, but I still didn't feel great,” Zalatoris added.
“I had to take a few days off and rest my back or get a lot of treatment. I won't do that anymore. It's hard to limit your practice and then go against the best players in the world. Now that I think about it, I think it's great that I'm trying to do this to live longer. I'm not doing this to distance myself. When I look at my numbers, they're all the same, but it feels good. is much better.”
Strengthening his back will help prevent future injuries. But he won't have to miss an entire season like he did two years ago. All in all, it's a win-win, and so far his hard work has paid off.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation's Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.
