He’s not quite taken it to Bryson DeChambeau levels, but Will Zalatoris has hit the gym and bulked up in a bid to add more distance and prevevnt further injury from hampering his career.
Zalatoris has been known for his wiry physique, but after a couple of years of injury problems, which include having back surgery, he’s gone from hitting great irons to pumping iron in the gym.
The American has played just once since August, but has been using the time lifting weights and cramming in the calories and protein to build some muslce.
So after all that work in the gym, and on his game, especially the putter, Zalatoris is feeling fit and strong as he returns to action in South Africa at the Nedbank Challenge.
“It has been a great off season,” Zalatoris told the DP World Tour. “I have worked probably the hardest I ever have.
“I picked up 15 pounds of muscle this off-season. I absolutely busted my tail trying to get my speed back, really get better with the broomstick [putter] and it has been good.
“I haven’t played much but that was on purpose. I wanted to be home, be able to eat my 4,500 calories a day and 200 grams of protein and train and get better.
“If you think about it, I haven’t really had an off-season I guess since 2019. We used to have the wraparound and then I have had two seasons rehabbing my back so it’s kind of nice to have a year where instead of rehabbing I am actually progressing.”
It’s been a tough road back for the 28-year-old, who came so close to winning a Major during an electric spell of form in golf’s biggest events – before injury struck.
Zalatoris finished second behind Dustin Johnson at the re-arranged 2021 Masters, held in November that year, and then went on to add another two runners-up finishes in back-to-back Majors in 2022.
After missing out in a playoff to Justin Thomas at the PGA Championship, Zalatoris then came up just short in the US Open as Matt Fitzpatrick triumphed at Brookline.
Zalatoris had three tops 10s in a mixed bag of results in the 2024 season, but after his new fitness regime he’s feeling strong and will look to find some of that previous Major form.
A sparkling iron player, if he also manages to add some distance to improve on finishing 77th on the PGA Tour last season for driving distances, then he could well be…
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