Will Zalatoris Miss the Entire 2027 PGA Tour Season Due to Another Surgery: "Four Years of Hell"

Will Zalatoris revealed that he will undergo spinal fusion surgery later this month, his third back operation since 2023, and has ruled himself out of the entire 2027 season.

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Will Zalatoris, who is expected to miss the entire 2027 PGA Tour season, continues to struggle.

During the preview day for next month's Austin Championship, the 30-year-old offered both good news and bad news, but it's the bad news that comes out noticeably.

While Zalatoris explained that he is still scheduled to make it to the event that begins on November 12, he went on to say that he is scheduled to undergo spinal fusion surgery later that month.

"I've been through four years of hell, so it's good to have something that hopefully fixes that," Zalatoris said, according to Golf Channel. "It's not something you want to do, but when three tour physios tell you it has to be done at some point, you go ahead and do it."

Zalatoris went on to joke that he's "the oldest 30-year-old you'll ever meet," and there's some truth to that, as this will be his third back surgery since 2023.

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The rookie of the year was playing world-class golf on the PGA Tour in late 2022, reaching No. 7 in the world and finishing runner-up at the PGA Championship and US Open. He also finished second at the 2021 Masters, one shot behind winner Hideki Matsuyama.

Zelatoris last played a full schedule on Tour in 2024 and made 22 starts that season, but has made just 15 starts on Tour over the past two seasons, including just four starts in 2026. He last made it on Tour in April and finished T-67 at the Valero Texas Open the week before the Masters.

Zalatoris has fallen out of the top 600 in the Official World Golf Ranking with major surgeries and long rehabs. While he hopes to be back at full strength in 2028, he will likely do so on the soon-to-be-introduced Challenger Tour, the second tier on the new-look PGA Tour.

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