No, it wasn’t to get Will Zalatoris to stop hearing jokes about his tiny waist and skinny arms.
The 28-year-old gained nearly 20 pounds in the offseason in order to extend his career.
Indeed, it has been a frustrating two years for one of the game’s brightest stars. After several close calls in the majors and then his breakthrough win at the FedEx St. Jude 2022, Zalatoris suffered a back injury, tried to cope with it, opted for surgery, and then spent most of 2024 trying to discover his new normal.
Several adjustments were made during his journey. Zalatoris changed his positioning to relieve some of the stress on his lower back. He also switched to a broom putter to enhance his 10-foot shot. But the biggest change, he said, was the change in his body.
“The ceiling was something I wanted to keep raising,” he told reporters Thursday during the Sentry’s season opener in Hawaii, “because I knew if I was going to weigh 160 pounds and try to hit it 300 yards out here, that’s not a recipe for longevity.”
So over the past few months, with the help of health coach Damon Goddard, Zalatoris began intentionally gaining weight. He wanted to feel like he didn’t have to play at 110 percent anymore. So that he doesn’t have to shoot only with adrenaline. That it was built to last. At 6 feet 2 inches tall, he weighs approximately 182 pounds and feels as good as he has ever felt.
This was clearly visible on Thursday in Kapalua, always one of the hardest walks of the year.
“I’m usually huffing and puffing,” he said of his climb to the grueling ninth hole, “and I thought, OK, I know it’s Thursday and we’ve been away for a while, but this is the best I feel. So I felt really good.”
Even when he thought he was at his best last year, Zatoris found out he really wasn’t. He stated that he no longer required the same treatment or needed a cortisone injection since August. It is stronger and more stable. He is optimistic that he will be able to play long stretches without problems.
These are all encouraging signs for a player who could make a big comeback this year, especially if he can continue to make progress on the greens. He also worked with performance coach Josh Gregory in the offseason to refine his long putter shot from the birdie zone, from 3 to 25 feet. In practice, Gregory had Zalatoris make 30 putts – five putts each from 10, 12, 15, 20 and 25 feet. The goal was to make nine of those attempts, which would put him in the positive strokes gained category.
At least after one round, some results are already visible. Zalatoris made four putts longer than 5 yards on the Plantation Course and finished third in putting on the day.
“It’s probably the best shot from 10 to 25 feet, maybe ever,” Zalatoris said. “It’s a nice way to start the year.”
This was also his score on the first day – an 8-under 65, which put him just one stroke off Tom Hoge’s initial lead.
