Zalatoris to miss 2027 PGA season for third back surgery

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 15 Oct, 15:08 · Archive

Will Zalatoris will miss the entire 2027 PGA Tour season after undergoing spinal fusion surgery later this month.

Will Zalatoris will undergo spinal fusion surgery in late November, his third back procedure since 2023. The 30-year-old American golfer confirmed he will miss the entire 2027 PGA Tour season as a result.

Zalatoris will still compete in the Austin Championship, which begins on 12 November, before undergoing the operation. He has struggled with back problems for the past four years, according to his own account. The procedure follows a microdiscectomy in 2023 and an artificial disc replacement in 2025.

Zalatoris said that three Tour physical therapists recommended the surgery. 'I've been through four years of hell so it's good to have something that will hopefully correct it,' he told Golf Channel. 'It's not something you want to do, but when you have three Tour physical therapists tell you it needs to be done at some time, you go ahead and do it.'

The golfer, who was a PGA Tour Rookie of the Year and reached world number seven in late 2022, has made limited tournament appearances in recent years. He made 22 starts in 2024 but managed just 15 starts across 2025 and 2026, including only four in 2026.

How it is being reported

• Masters and US Open runner-up issues heartbreaking career statementFormer Masters runner-up and World No.7 Will Zalatoris has confirmed he is expected to miss the entire 2027 PGA Tour seasonMirror Sport · 15 Oct, 14:41
• Will Zalatoris set to miss all of 2027 PGA Tour season due to yet another back surgery: 'Four years of hell'Will Zalatoris revealed he will undergo spinal fusion surgery later this month, marking his third back surgery since 2023 and sidelining him all of 2027.Fox News · 15 Oct, 13:44

In this story: Will Zalatoris · Austin Championship · PGA Tour · Hideki Matsuyama · Tiger Woods

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