Will Zalatoris out for the remainder of 2023 PGA Tour season after undergoing back surgery
PGA Tour

Will Zalatoris out for the remainder of 2023 PGA Tour season after undergoing back surgery

A photo of golfer Will Zalatoris
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Will Zalatoris is out for the remainder of the PGA Tour season after undergoing back surgery last week.

Zalatoris shared on social media that he underwent a procedure that he hopes will help end the back pain he has been dealing with since first suffering the injury last August at the 2022 BMW Championship.

"After careful consideration and seeking multiple medical opinions, I underwent a successful microdiscectomy on Saturday," Zalatoris shared. "As much as I hate not being able to play the rest of this season, I am happy that I am already seeing the benefits of the procedure. Playing and living in pain is not fun. I look forward to making a full recovery and seeing everyone in the fall."

The Wake Forest product withdrew from the 2023 Masters ahead of his scheduled Thursday tee time, citing back pain.

Though Zalatoris came back from taking time off to rest his back at the start of 2023, he has struggled to find form, comfort and consistency. His best finish of the season came at Riviera, where he finished fourth at The Genesis Invitational. In his last two starts before the Masters, Zalatoris was 73rd at The Players and T-59 out of group stage at the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play.

With this procedure, a small piece of the spine is cut out to help relieve pressure and pain. Tiger Woods has undergone this procedure four times in his career.

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