Will Zalatoris expects to sit out the 2027 PGA Tour season while recovering from spinal-fusion surgery scheduled for later in November 2026, according to comments he made at a media event previewing the Austin Championship.
The 30-year-old golfer said he still plans to compete in the tournament, which begins Nov. 12. He described the operation as a possible way to address ongoing back problems, while acknowledging that surgery was not his preferred option. Zalatoris said, as reported by Golf Channel, that three Tour physical therapists had told him the procedure would need to be done at some point.
The planned operation would be his third back surgery since 2023. Zalatoris characterized the preceding four years as extremely difficult and joked that he felt like the oldest 30-year-old someone could meet.
His time on Tour has been sharply curtailed in recent seasons. Zalatoris made 22 Tour starts in 2024, but the source reports only 15 starts across the following two seasons, including four in 2026. His most recent Tour appearance was at the Valero Texas Open in April, where he finished tied for 67th. That event took place the week before the Masters.
Before his back problems limited his schedule, Zalatoris established himself among the leading players in the sport. He reached No. 7 in the world rankings in late 2022 and finished runner-up at both the PGA Championship and U.S. Open that year. He had also placed second at the 2021 Masters, one stroke behind champion Hideki Matsuyama. Zalatoris was previously named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year.
The report says his extended absences and rehabilitation have coincided with a fall to outside the top 600 in the Official World Golf Ranking. Zalatoris is hopeful of returning at full strength in 2028. The source adds that he would likely compete on the PGA Tour’s forthcoming Challenger Series, described there as the tour’s second tier. His eventual return and competitive schedule remain prospective rather than confirmed.
