Career Timeline of Will Zalatoris: Major Achievements and Milestones

Discover the career path of Will Zalatoris, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

William Patrick Zalatoris is an American professional golfer known for his career on the PGA Tour. He secured his first PGA Tour victory at the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship. Notably, he has achieved three runner-up finishes in major championships, highlighting his strong performance in high-stakes tournaments.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

June 2014: Won the Texas Amateur Championship

In June 2014, Will Zalatoris won the Texas Amateur Championship, marking a significant achievement in his amateur career.

October 2014: Won first collegiate title

In October 2014, Will Zalatoris won his first individual collegiate title at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate. He scored 10-under to finish two strokes ahead of runner-up Denny McCarthy.

September 2015: Won second collegiate title

In September 2015, Will Zalatoris secured his second collegiate title by birdying the final hole at the Rod Myers Invitational, winning by one stroke.

July 2016: Won Trans-Mississippi Amateur

In July 2016, Will Zalatoris won the Trans-Mississippi Amateur for the second time, along with the Pacific Coast Amateur, adding to his amateur achievements.

March 2017: Won General Hackler Championship

In March 2017, Will Zalatoris won medalist honors for the third time in his collegiate career at the General Hackler Championship.

December 2017: Turned Professional

In December 2017, Will Zalatoris decided to forego his final semester of university and turned professional at the start of 2018, beginning his professional golf career.

2017: Named ACC Player of the Year

In 2017, Will Zalatoris was named ACC Player of the Year and received several other honors, including All-ACC, First-Team GCAA All-American, First-Team Golfweek All-American, Ben Hogan Award semifinalist, and Jack Nicklaus Award finalist. He also played in the Walker Cup. He turned professional after the year.

2018: First Starts on PGA Tour

In 2018, Will Zalatoris made six starts on the PGA Tour, making only one cut, and towards the end of the year, competed in qualifying school for the Web.com Tour but failed to advance past the first stage.

2019: Relying on Monday Qualifiers

In 2019, without status, Will Zalatoris relied on Monday qualifying and sponsor exemptions to play on the Web.com Tour and secured membership after a third-place finish at the LECOM Health Challenge in July.

July 2020: First Professional Victory

In July 2020, Will Zalatoris achieved his first professional victory at the TPC Colorado Championship by one stroke, marking a significant milestone in his career.

2020: Earned Korn Ferry Tour Status

In 2020, Will Zalatoris earned full status for the Korn Ferry Tour season after finishing the regular season 60th in points.

October 2021: Career-Low Round on PGA Tour

In October 2021, Will Zalatoris shot his career-low round (11-under 61) on the PGA Tour at the Sanderson Farms Championship.

2021: Top Finishes and Masters Debut

In 2021, Will Zalatoris recorded top-15 finishes at multiple events and qualified for the Masters Tournament, where he finished solo-second, one stroke behind Hideki Matsuyama.

January 2022: Farmers Insurance Open Playoff Loss

In January 2022, Will Zalatoris was tied for the lead at the Farmers Insurance Open after 72 holes but lost in the sudden-death playoff to Luke List.

August 2022: First PGA Tour Win and Back Injury

In August 2022, Will Zalatoris won his first PGA Tour event at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. He then withdrew from the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship due to a back injury diagnosed as two herniated discs.

2022: Runner-Up Finishes at Majors

In 2022, Will Zalatoris finished runner-up at both the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open, marking two significant achievements in major championships.

2022: Remainder of the 2022-23 Season Missed

In 2023, Will Zalatoris announced he would miss the remainder of the 2022-23 season, because of his microdiscectomy.

January 2023: Return from Injury

In January 2023, Will Zalatoris returned from his disc herniation at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, finishing tied-11th.

March 2023: LIV Golf Offer Revealed

In March 2023, it was revealed that LIV Golf had offered Will Zalatoris a $130-million contract, but he remained on the PGA Tour.

2023: Masters Withdrawal and Back Surgery

In 2023, Will Zalatoris withdrew from the Masters Tournament due to a back injury and underwent a microdiscectomy, causing him to miss the remainder of the season. During his recovery, an effort was made to rework his swing.

January 2024: Return to PGA Tour

In January 2024, Will Zalatoris made his return on the PGA Tour at the Sony Open in Hawaii, where he missed the cut, and finished runner-up at the Genesis Invitational the following month.