Over the past few years, Will Zalatoris has been plagued by injuries. A slipped disk in his back and tingling running down his leg forced him to miss the 2023 Masters, he ultimately skipped most of the 2023 season due to a microdiscectomy and a pop in his “good” hip sidelined him over the summer which forced him to withdraw from the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
That’s a hell – emphasise hell – of a run but Willy Z finally feels like he’s in a good place. It may take a second to identify him though, as he’s added a good deal of muscle to counteract the ailments.
Play the final four holes in 40 seconds with @WillZalatoris 🚀#NGC2024 pic.twitter.com/Ma98zxpPd3
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) December 4, 2024
“It has been a great off-season,” Zalatoris told the DP World Tour, while prepping for the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa. “I have worked probably the hardest I ever have. I picked up 15 pounds (7 kilos) of muscle this off-season. I absolutely busted my tail trying to get my speed back, really get better with the broomstick and it has been good.”
It’s been the 28-year-old’s first real off-season since 2019 with the constant golf wrap-arounds and rehabs for his back constantly getting in the way and he’s been hard at work … eating.
“I haven’t played much but that was on purpose,” he said. “I wanted to be home, be able to eat my 4,500 calories a day and 200 grams of protein and train and get better. It’s kind of nice to have a year where instead of rehabbing I am actually progressing.”
It’s not a Full Bryson, but 7 kilos of muscle is quite a change for a player known for his wiry frame. He ranked No.77 in driving in 2024, but that was coming off a plethora of injuries and little true recovery time. The sky’s the limit now, at least hopefully for his golf ball.
It’s a good thing he has more muscle too, since he’s taking on Gary Player Country Club, one of the world’s longest golf courses at almost 8,000 yards. Every ounce of muscle counts when you have to hit the ball 7,981 yards around South Africa.
