29-Year-Old Golf Star Ends ‘Nightmare’ Pain Battle as He Makes Comeback for $6 Million Event

Playing 18 holes of golf every single day sounds like a dream for most amateurs. For Will Zalatoris, it’s been part of a grueling four-month recovery process to reclaim a career that chronic back pain nearly stole from him. The 29-year-old is finally seeing light at the end of a very dark tunnel, with his comeback set for December’s $6 million Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa.

“This is the most positive I’ve felt in three years,” Zalatoris revealed in a recent Golf.com interview. “The nightmare of three years of back pain is kind of gone now.”

His journey through this ordeal began in 2022, right when his star was burning brightest. The Wake Forest grad had just captured his maiden PGA Tour victory at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. He was leading the FedExCup standings. He ranked 7th in the world. Then his back gave out during the very next tournament at the BMW Championship. The timing couldn’t have been crueler.

Zalatoris had proven he belonged among golf’s elite with three runner-up finishes at majors. He finished second at the 2021 Masters, one shot behind Hideki Matsuyama. He lost a three-hole playoff to Justin Thomas at the 2022 PGA Championship. He came up one stroke short of Matt Fitzpatrick at the 2022 U.S. Open.

Those heartbreaks stung, but they promised future glory. Instead, herniated discs turned his career into a medical battle.

The 2023 Masters represented rock bottom. Zalatoris withdrew before his Thursday round after experiencing what he described as a golfer’s worst nightmare on the range. Two days later, surgeons performed a microdiscectomy. Eight months of his season vanished.

He returned in early 2024 and showed flashes of his old brilliance with a runner-up finish at the Genesis Invitational. However, the pain crept back. He gutted through 22 events in 2024, managing only one more top-10 at the Masters. An MRI after the 2025 PGA Championship revealed he’d re-herniated two discs. On May 23, 2025, he went under the knife again at the Texas Back Institute.

“Following the PGA Championship, an MRI showed that I had re-herniated two discs,” Zalatoris explained. “I’m happy to say that I woke up feeling good and excited about my long-term back health.”

Now, four months post-surgery, he’s grinding through daily 18-hole sessions in preparation for his return to competition. The DP World Tour’s Nedbank Golf Challenge, taking place December 4-7 at Gary Player Country Club, will mark his first competitive start since May. “I’m already backed plan and grinding every day, playing golf every day, trying to get in at least 18,” he shared. “It’s been a long grind, don’t get me wrong, but this is the most positive felt in three years.”

Will’s comeback carries enormous implications for the 2026 major championship landscape.

Will Zalatoris’s Major Championship Pursuit: What 2026 Holds

At 29, Will is entering what should be his prime years. His ball-striking prowess ranked him among the Tour’s best before injuries derailed everything. He currently sits at 160th in the world rankings, a far cry from his peak at 7th.

The 2026 majors offer fresh opportunities. The Masters returns to Augusta National in April. The PGA Championship heads to Aronimink Golf Club in May. The U.S. Open arrives at Shinnecock Hills in June. The Open Championship concludes at Royal Lytham & St Annes in July.

Three times, Zalatoris has come within striking distance of major championships. Three times they’ve slipped away. Now that his recovery is on track, he’s getting advice from PGA Tour Champions players on managing his body long-term. “There are guys with a lot of mileage on their bodies, so I’m definitely taking some notes this week,” he noted.

Tiger Woods proved back surgeries don’t have to end elite careers. Jason Day resurrected his game after similar struggles. Zalatoris has the talent. He’s paid his dues in pain.

“Finally able to be 29 year 29-year-old kid go work,” Zalatoris said with unmistakable relief. For three years, that simple pleasure eluded him. Today, it’s his reality again.