Will Zalatoris forced out of CJ Cup Byron Nelson on PGA Tour
Will Zalatoris has withdrawn from the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, according to the PGA Tour official communications team.
World number 30 Will Zalatoris has withdrawn from this week's PGA Tour event, citing an issue with his back.
The official PGA Tour communications team were first to report news of his withdrawal from the CJ Cup Byron Nelson without giving a reason.
Later, Zalatoris took the platform X to confirm his back needs some rest and recovery.
The golfer missed a large chunk of the last campaign after his back flared up in his warm-up before the 2023 Masters.
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He made his return to elite men's professional golf months later at Tiger Woods' Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas after undergoing surgery to resolve the problem.
"I am frustrated to miss a tournament I've enjoyed since I was nine years old," Zalatoris wrote.
He added: "My back needed some rest and recovery.
"I am ahead of schedule according to my doctors but unfortunately the first six months back are the most important for the long term health of my back.
"I need to be prudent to make sure I don't miss a big chunk of time again.
"I hate that a flare up happened during one of my favourite weeks all year, but we knew something like this was a possibility early on in my return to golf."
Read his full statement here:
Zalatoris' issues with his back go back to the 2022 season when he was forced to withdraw from the FedEx St. Jude Championship with a herniated disc.
He attempted to come back prematurely and then it flared up again at Augusta National, forcing him to pull out of the major 20 minutes before his tee time.
"I knew immediately what it was," he said.
After surgery, Zalatoris said, there were times when he felt his career was over given he was in so much pain.
Like the aforementioned Woods after his back fusion, he just hoped for a quality of life.
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