Tag: Will Zalatoris

‘It’s a crazy wild ride’: Will Zalatoris remains grounded as his golf stock rockets skyward

“It’s definitely different, going and picking up some food and people asking for autographs or pictures,” the 24-year-old rookie said.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – He got a shoutout from a Hollywood star.

His galleries and interview requests are growing by the week and he’s banked $3 million this year. And he’s coming off a runner-up finish in the Masters.

How are you rolling, Will Zalatoris?

“I think none of that will really sink in until I get home. It’s definitely different, going and picking up some food and people asking for autographs or pictures,” the 24-year-old rookie said on Wednesday at the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links. “I kind of humble myself and say, ‘I didn’t win, I finished second.’ It’s like, I’ve felt like I’ve been getting some treatment like I won, but to me it’s funny.

“I enjoy it, interacting with the fans. They’re the ones that we play for.”

Despite all the heady stuff going on in his world, Zalatoris remains level-headed. His meteoric rise – he was ranked 1,514th in the Official World Golf Ranking in April of 2019, was 483rd in April of 2020 and now rests at 27th after nearly becoming the first rookie to win the Masters in 42 years – hasn’t changed his good nature and calm demeanor.

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He’s still the same guy who was Monday qualifying for Korn Ferry Tour events two years ago, the same guy who won his lone pro title at the TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes on the Korn Ferry Tour last July.

Then again, he’s not the same guy inside the ropes and he might just be on the USA Ryder Cup team. Since winning in Colorado, he’s made 22 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour and finished in the top-10 10 times and the top-25 18 times. He tied for sixth in the U.S. Open and fell one shot shy of Hideki Matsuyama in the Masters – the only two majors he’s played as a pro.

Last week, fulfilling a nearly lifelong dream, he was on cloud nine playing Augusta National but didn’t let the moment go to his head, a nod to the strong support system around him, including his parents and golf mentor, David Price.

At Augusta, Zalatoris became a huge storyline early on and revered swing coach Butch Harmon said Zalatoris looked like a 1-iron without a grip.

And then movie star Adam Sandler, aka Happy Gilmore, noted in a tweet that Zalatoris looked like one of his caddies in the 1990s comedy and wrote: “Have fun today young man. Mr. Gilmore is watching you and very proud.”

Zalatoris responded with his own tweet – “If you’re ever in need of a caddie again let me know. I’ll be better this time. I’m always available for you, Mr. Gilmore.” – and then went out and almost won a green jacket.

When he left Augusta National, there were 852 text messages on his phone.

“I still wish I could put into words how much fun I actually had,” Zalatoris said. “I was able to appreciate playing in my first Masters because, of course, like I’ve said, I really haven’t taken anything for granted over the last two years.

“It’s a crazy wild ride that I’ve enjoyed every single minute of it. To be in contention on a Sunday at Augusta was obviously a dream come true. Obviously to come up one short will sting forever, but I know that I can contend against the best players in the world, and I know I’m capable of getting those two shots somewhere pretty soon.”

Pretty soon could be this week as he makes his tournament debut. The tight, treelined Harbour Town with smallish greens seems right up Zalatoris’ alley because of his ball-striking talents.

“I love the golf course,” he said. “It’s in phenomenal shape. I think it will be a really good place for me. It’s very tight off the tee, overhanging trees. Obviously really got to work the golf ball into some of these greens just because of kind of the tight corners.

“But I’m looking forward to it. This was a tournament that even though a lot of people on paper did say, well, you hit it far, this place kind of handcuffs your advantage, but obviously my iron play I think is the best part of my game, and so this is an event that I’ve really been looking forward to.

“This golf course actually suits me pretty well.”

Lately, most every course has suited him well.

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Will Zalatoris had a perfect response to Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore Masters tweet

What a weekend for Will Zalatoris, who looks like the caddie from Happy Gilmore.

Will Zalatoris didn’t win the Masters on Sunday but he did have a life-changing weekend at Augusta National, and it included a tweet from Adam Sandler, who noticed that Zalatoris looked like Happy Gilmore’s caddie.

Zalatoris, who doesn’t have full status on the PGA Tour yet in his young career, finished in second on Sunday, a stroke behind the winner, Hideki Matsuyama.

The 24 year old now has a second place finish in the Masters and a T-6 finish at last year’s U.S. Open. He also pocketed over $1.2 million bucks with his finish on Sunday.

He also looks just like the character who caddied for Happy Gilmore in that classic Sandler movie.

Sandler tweeted this awesome message before Zalatoris’ round began on Sunday:

Zalatoris responded to that Sunday night:

What a weekend for the kid.

First visit to Augusta National is ‘absolute dream’ for Masters runner-up Will Zalatoris

Will Zalatoris’ first visit to Augusta National was an “absolute dream” that ended with a runner-up finish at the Masters.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — As Will Zalatoris sat in his press conference following the 85th Masters Tournament, he learned a very important thing about himself during his first Masters effort at Augusta National Golf Club.

“I think the fact that I’m frustrated I finished second in my third major says something, and the fact that I didn’t let any moment really get to me, was really exciting,” Zalatoris said. “And obviously my two majors as a pro, I finished sixth and runner-up. I know if I keep doing what I doing, I’m going to have a really good chance in the future.”

But that’s always been Zalatoris, the hardworking, overachieving and disciplined golfer that earned his way from Monday qualifiers on the Korn Ferry Tour to a special temporary exemption on the PGA Tour to runner-up at the Masters.

All in a 17-month span.

“He’s prepared his whole life for this moment. And he’s ready for this moment. … This will be the first of many times he’ll be here. He hasn’t been overwhelmed by the moment all week so this doesn’t surprise me,” said Josh Gregory, Zalatoris’ short game coach and former Augusta State golf coach.

As frustrated as Zalatoris was of falling just one stroke short of tying this year’s champion, Hideki Matsuyama, he also appreciated what he had accomplished.

“Absolute dream. To be in this situation, I’ve been dreaming about it for 20 years,” Zalatoris said. “… It was a lot of fun, obviously, hearing a lot of the patrons over the last — especially the last couple days, saying my name, you know, cheering me on on every single hole between every single shot. It was really special.”

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By Sunday, Zalatoris had a traditional Masters throng of patrons – even with the limited capacity – following his path through his final 18 holes as a Masters rookie. Gregory couldn’t help but throw a waist-level fist pump after Zalatoris’ final birdie of the day on No. 17.

Patrons barked his name as he walked up each fairway, they cheered his birdies on No. 15 and 17, they gave him a standing ovation as he approached the green at No. 18. He even had fans on Twitter.

Zalatoris said he took in his entire experience, from his three birdies in the first nine, to the final time he stood on the bridge at the 12th hole to take in Amen Corner one more time.

Gregory said Zalatoris was working for this moment up until, very literally, the last possible second. After he signed for his 2-under 70 and became the leader in the clubhouse, with Matsuyama two holes back, Zalatoris went straight to the practice area, in the event of a playoff.

That’s the same determination Gregory preached when he spoke highly of Zalatoris’ willingness to work during the practice rounds. He compared Zalatoris’ work ethic to that of Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed, two other understudies of Gregory.

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“As he told me on Thursday after the first round, ‘I can win this thing.’ He’s not intimidated by it and he’ll be excited no matter where he finishes and also a little disappointed if he doesn’t win,” Gregory said.

In Gregory’s eyes, he always saw Zalatoris getting to this point. The wins will come. His ascent to becoming one of the world’s best golfers isn’t far behind.

“He’ll be one of the best players in the world. He’ll be a Ryder Cup (player), he’ll be a major championship winner,” Gregory said.

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‘Superstar of Japan’ Hideki Matsuyama wins Masters, first from country to win a men’s major

Matsuyama was steady throughout, holding off Will Zalatoris and others to capture not only his biggest title, but the biggest for Japan.

Adam Scott said Sunday that Hideki Matsuyama might have entered the final round of the 2021 Masters somewhat oblivious to how groundbreaking it would be for a Japanese player to win a men’s major.

“I think he’d become the superstar of Japan, if he isn’t already,” Scott said after his own round. “But I don’t think he really feels the weight of expectation — like we all kind of can see what it would mean for Japan and golf over there.”

If Matsuyama didn’t know before what the victory might mean, he’s about to find out.

As he played toward his sixth title on the PGA Tour, the former World No. 2 was steady throughout, holding off youngster Will Zalatoris, Jordan Spieth, Xander Schauffele and others to capture not only his biggest title, but the biggest for his country.

It was the first victory for the 29-year-old Matsuyama since 2017, when he won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational for the last of three titles that season.

The win completed an amazing stretch for Japanese golfers as 17-year-old Tsubasa Kajitani took the Augusta National Women’s Amateur just eight days ago.

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Fan-favorite Spieth, who has a green jacket from his victory at Augusta in 2015, never really got rolling on the front nine Sunday, making the turn at 37. But Spieth rallied on the back and continued a recent trend of strong play, posting a top-5 finish after winning the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio last week. He closed with a 70 to finish at 7 under for the week.

Zalatoris, who is still just a special temporary member of the PGA Tour, played admirably, closing his day with an 18-foot par putt. He finished with a round of 70 to close at 9 under.

And Schauffele appeared to be tanked after a three-hole stretch on the front in which he went bogey-bogey-double, but he rebounded to make things interesting — pulling to two strokes behind with three holes to play.

But on No. 15 Schauffele found the water, an inconvenient time to post his first triple-bogey at a major.

Meanwhile, Jon Rahm started the day out of the top 20, but he made the day’s biggest charge, following up three consecutive 72s with a scintillating 66.

It set up a fourth straight top-10 finish at Augusta National, but he admitted after his round that when he started thinking about getting close to Matsuyama the pressure mounted.

“It was all fun and games until I made that birdie on 12 and then I looked up and thought I’m not that far away,” Rahm said. “I tried my best at the end, it’s just with the wind gusts and the greens being that firm, pars are obviously great.”

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Masters sensation Will Zalatoris looks a lot like Happy Gilmore’s caddie. So Adam Sandler wished him luck.

Will Zalatoris resembles Happy Gilmore’s caddie from the Waterbury Open, and Adam Sandler made sure to note it on Twitter.

Will Zalatoris teed off Sunday tied for second in the final round of the Masters.

And a famous (movie) golfer wished him luck on Twitter.

 Adam Sandler, who played the titular Happy Gilmore in the fan-favorite golf movie from 1996, tweeted a photo compilation that got social media laughing just before Zalatoris’ 2:20 p.m. tee time. The tweet shows the 24-year-old who is making a splash at his first Masters next to a shot of the actor who played Gilmore’s caddie at his first tournament in the movie.

The resemblance, as plenty of people had noticed throughout the week, is uncanny.

“Have fun today young man,” Sandler wrote in the tweet. “Mr. Gilmore is watching you and very proud.”

Zalatoris is fully aware of the comparisons he’d been getting to both that character and to Owen Wilson, and the PGA Tour’s Twitter account made sure Sandler knew it.

Zalatoris entered the final day tied for second four shots beyond leader Hideki Matsuyama.

While things have gone well for “not Happy’s caddie,” the real-life Gilmore, the big-driving Bryson DeChambeau, has had an up-and-down week at Augusta National. He shot 67 on Friday but followed it with consecutive weekend rounds of 75.

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Five things to know about Will Zalatoris, the 24-year-old in contention at the Masters

Will Zalatoris is making plenty of Masters headlines for a first-timer. But who is he?

Not since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979 has a Masters rookie walked away with the green jacket at Augusta National. Only three players have ever done it. There’s a legitimate possibility it could happen again on Sunday as Will Zalatoris hovers near the top of the leaderboard.

Zalatoris, 24, played in Saturday’s final round alongside Justin Rose. He has displayed a good feel for the golf course (particularly the greens) and opened with rounds of 70-68. In the third round, Zalatoris struggled to get anything going, offsetting each birdie with a bogey.

Who is the tall, thin blonde who recently rose off the ranks of the Korn Ferry Tour? We give you the basics below.

What was once a family joke is slowly becoming Masters reality for Will Zalatoris

The first-year PGA Tour player from Wake Forest made five birdies on the second nine at Augusta National to shoot 68 in the second round

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During his interview following his first round of his first Masters Tournament, Will Zalatoris said he has a running joke in his family that if he was stupid enough to think he can play at the Masters, he’s stupid enough to think he can win it.

Either Zalatoris is stupid or tells great jokes, because following a second-round 68, he is tied for second at 6 under —  and well in position to join rare company to don the coveted green jacket.

If he wins, the graduate of Wake Forest would become the first player to win the Masters in his first appearance at Augusta National since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979.

“I think that’s something that it’s a childhood dream to obviously be in the final group of a major on a weekend, especially here, I think definitely that one for sure,” said Zalatoris, who made three straight birdies to end his round to join leader Justin Rose in the final pairing.

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It was a quiet start to the day with eight pars and a bogey on No. 9 to set up a thrilling back nine.

“I had two pretty good looks on 3 and 8 that I let get away from me,” he said. “I knew it was in there somewhere but when I made the par putt on 10, that was a big momentum boost, and making a couple 30-footers on 11 and 12, that’s just big bonus. I hit great putts that just happened to go in.”

While it is his first time playing Augusta National, Zalatoris said he isn’t intimidated by the course, rather embraces the challenge. Through two rounds, he’s in contention to break a years long record of a first time winner. It’s not too big for him, being on that stage now.

“I wanted to be here my entire life. Some people shy away from that, but I’m excited to be here. I’ve wanted to be here forever. There’s no reason to feel intimidated now. I made it here,” Zalatoris said. “And obviously the job is not done by any means, but I think standing on the first tee and hearing your name called, that’s something that every kid dreams of.”

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Masters second-round recap: Justin Rose still leads, but now he’s got company

Rose rebounded from a poor front nine in Friday’s second round at Augusta National and remained at the top of the leaderboard with a 72.

AUGUSTA, Ga. – With an armada of birdies and an eagle in Thursday’s first round of the 85th Masters, Justin Rose sailed away from all others and took a staggering 4-shot lead with a stunning 7-under-par 65, a score that was 9.5 strokes better than the field average.

A day later, he had plenty of company.

Rose, who finished runner-up here in 2015 and lost in a playoff in 2017 to Sergio Garcia, rebounded from a poor front nine in Friday’s second round at Augusta National and remained at the top of the leaderboard with an even-par 72 that left him at 7 under through 36 holes.

But under overcast skies and on a slightly softer course and less crusty greens, a fleet of players came charging and before noon talk of a runaway had been silenced. Rose hit his opening tee shot deep into the Georgia Pines and bogeyed three of his first seven holes before he regained some distance between himself and the field with three late birdies.

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Still, the 2013 U.S. Open champ’s overnight lead was cut to one among the early finishers as Will Zalatoris, who was ranked 483rd one year ago this week, shot 68 to assume second place. By virtue of a 69 on Friday, Brian Harman pulled even with Zalatoris, one off the lead.

Two shots back were 2015 Masters champion and a resurgent Jordan Spieth (68) and Marc Leishman (67).

World No. 2 Justin Thomas (67), Tony Finau (66) and Bernd Wiesberger (66), who putted an eagle attempt on the 15th green in the first round into a pound, each moved within three shots.

“I was joking, the finger was heading towards the panic button a little bit,” Rose said. “I had a little talk with myself on 8 and said you’re still leading the Masters, and I just changed my mindset a little bit and started to play match play against the golf course. I scratched a line on my scorecard and told myself I was three down and could I go ahead and beat the golf course from that point on. I had a putt on 18 to win my match 1-up, but unfortunately, it just slipped by. But an honorable draw.

“It was just a classic day at Augusta National when you’re just slightly off. You can be a foot or two out on certain occasions and you end up struggling.”

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Spieth is looking like Spieth again after winning last week’s Valero Texas Open, his first PGA Tour title since the 2017 Open championship and his fourth top-4 finish in his last seven starts.

“It’s still a process to getting back to how I used to swing the club, but last week, the win was an exclamation point, for sure,” Spieth said. “But getting into contention, feeling the pressure, the more you do that, the more comfortable you get and so it was goal accomplished last week.

“Fortunately, Rosie didn’t go off today. Nine under his last 10 holes, that was ridiculous, especially in the conditions. It was some of the best golf I’ve ever seen. Today early in the round I saw he had fallen back, and it was sort of a boost. Being two back going into the weekend, if I can shoot 5 under, that might be good enough.”

Thomas won The Players Championship earlier this year and the 2017 PGA champion looks in top form once again.

“I played great today. I drove the ball better, hit more quality iron shots, had some great up-and-downs. It was easy,” Thomas said. “I’ve still left a lot of shots out there but I’m in a great position going into the weekend.”

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Red-hot Will Zalatoris eyes PGA Tour status at Sanderson Farms Championship

Will Zalatoris shot a clutch final-round 65 to clinch a berth into this week’s Sanderson Farms Championship and now has sights set on more.

JACKSON, Miss. – Norman Vincent Peale would have been a big fan of Will Zalatoris.

Peale, the author of The Power of Positive Thinking, would have admired how Zalatoris isn’t afraid to shoot for his goal. Like the time before the final round of the Korn Ferry Tour’s TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes in July, when despite being winless since turning professional in 2017, Zalatoris wrote his caddie a check based on the winner’s share and went out and made it happen.

Then, last week, Zalatoris, who made the cut on the number at the PGA Tour’s Corales Puntacana Open, knew he needed a low round to vault into the top 10 and secure a start in this week’s Sanderson Farms Championship. Zalatoris set a goal of 64, and while he came up one short of the number, he posted a field-low 65 that catapulted him to T-8 and another week of living the good life on the PGA Tour.

When asked to explain what the difference was in his play in Sunday’s final round in the Dominican Republic compared to the first three days, he said, “I had my back up against the wall.”

Zalatoris, 24, continued a remarkable run of performance, which included a T-6 at the U.S. Open at Winged Foot two weeks ago when he earned more in one start than he had in 16 on the Korn Ferry Tour. His two-week run in the big leagues has lifted Zalatoris to the brink of earning special temporary membership on the PGA Tour, which would allow him unlimited sponsor’s exemptions this season (otherwise capped at seven).

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Zalatoris needs just a two-way tie for fifth place this week at the Sanderson Farms Championship to earn enough to do so.

There will be no rest for the weary, especially when opportunity knocks.

“At this stage of where I’m at, I can’t take a week off,” Zalatoris said on Sunday, noting he was “flat” the first two days at Puntacana. “At least I can admit it now, I was a little drained after (the U.S. Open).”

Will Zalatoris reacts to his made par putt on the 15th hole during singles at the 2017 Walker Cup at The Los Angeles Country Club in Los Angeles, California, on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017. (Copyright USGA/JD Cuban)

Zalatoris looks to be a star in the making. He’s shown promise since his red-hot summer of 2014 when he won the U.S. Junior Amateur, Texas State Amateur and Trans-Mississippi Amateur Championship. After winning four times in college, playing on the victorious 2017 U.S. Walker Cup team and earning 2017 ACC Player of the Year honors, Zalatoris skipped his final semester at Wake Forest and turned pro in December of that year.

Zalatoris is a ballstriking specialist – he led the U.S. Open field in Strokes Gained: Approach – but willed himself to another Tour start this week by making a boatload of putts on Sunday. He took 30 putts in the first three rounds at Puntacana, but only 25 on the final day.

He’s made the step up in competition to the PGA Tour seamlessly after an impressive season on the developmental circuit. Zalatoris won the TPC Colorado Championship, finished tied for second at the Evans Scholars Invitational and shared third at the King & Bear Classic at World Golf Village among 10 top-10s in 16 starts. And he’s been killing it on the Korn Ferry Tour since returning from the COVID-19 break in June, recording 11 straight top-20 finishes en route to the top of the circuit’s money list.

The global pandemic eliminated a promotion to the PGA Tour this season – unless, of course, he wins three times on KFT for an automatic promotion, or two more times – but a victory this week at The Country Club of Jackson would resolve those concerns. Perhaps he should simply write his caddie another first-place check and allow the power of positive thinking to take care of the rest.

“I’ve been really working hard over the past couple of years, and nice to finally see it pay off on the big stage,” Zalatoris said.

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Will Zalatoris cashes in, surpasses Korn Ferry season earnings at U.S. Open

Will Zalatoris made $403,978 in 16 Korn Ferry Tour starts this year. Then he tied for sixth at Winged Foot and earned $424,040.

Will Zalatoris made $403,978 in 16 Korn Ferry Tour starts this year, establishing himself as the best—and most handsomely paid—player on that circuit. The 24-year old thus earned a spot in the all-exempt field at the 2020 U.S. Open, where he finished T-6 alongside world No. 1 Dustin Johnson.

For breaking into the top 10 by carding 5-over par last weekend, Zalatoris more than matched his Korn Ferry Tour season earnings with a check for $424,040. He also received an exemption for next year’s U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.

“It was a great experience,” Zalatoris said about his U.S. Open effort. “I’ve been playing well all year. I just found out that obviously top 10 gets us into next year too, so that’s obviously pretty exciting.”

Zalatoris turned heads with his hole-in-one on Thursday at the 7th hole, accomplishing the feat roughly six hours after Patrick Reed did the same. He almost did it again at the 13th, only to have his ball ricochet off the flagstick.

Far from being a one-hit wonder, Zalatoris battled Winged Foot all weekend, shooting 70-71 over the final two rounds on a difficult golf course that saw many of his opponents lose ground. The wiry San Francisco native clawed up the leaderboard to finish neck-and-neck with Johnson, this year’s FedEx Cup champion.

“I’ve been really working hard over the past couple of years, and nice to finally see it pay off on the big stage,” Zalatoris said.

“Pay off” is right.

Zalatoris will now attempt to keep the momentum going. He has finished T-19 or better in all 11 starts since golf returned in June, including six top-5 results and a win at the TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes.

Due to pandemic-necessitated changes to the qualifying process, Zalatoris will likely have to wait until the 2021-22 season to see full-time action on the PGA Tour. However, he will start at this week’s Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship in the Dominican Republic, where a victory would earn him automatic PGA Tour status.

“I’m playing Puntacana (this) week. We’ve got two more events on the Korn Ferry Tour between now and the end of the year,” said Zalatoris. “Hopefully I’ll get a couple more (PGA) Tour starts between now and the end of the year.”

As long as he keeps doing what he’s doing, PGA Tour fans are going to see a lot more of Will Zalatoris in the future.

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