Will Zalatoris Surprised By The Journey

Nearing the end of a two-week break from tournament play that paused one of the hottest stretches of golf on the planet, 24-year-old Will Zalatoris has had a moment to appreciate where he is even if the journey is just beginning.

Sixteen months ago, Zalatoris had no status on any professional tour and was living life through Monday qualifiers.

Now the former Wake Forest All-American finds himself ranked 57th in the world (one spot ahead of a guy named Phil Mickelson) and on the verge of securing special temporary member status on the PGA Tour while sitting atop the Korn Ferry Tour regular-season points list.

“You never plan exactly what your journey will be. Had you asked me when I was 15 what my journey would look like, it’s not remotely close to what it’s been,” Zalatoris said by phone recently.

Will Zalatoris Photo: PGA Tour via Getty Images

When professional golf and everything else stopped due to the pandemic in mid-March, Zalatoris had posted a pair of top-10 finishes in his first full season on the Korn Ferry Tou...