PGA Tour's Will Zalatoris reveals burly key to The Sentry success

01/03/2025 01:42 PM

The 2025 PGA Tour season kicked off on Thursday in Maui as 59 of the world’s most talented golfers played at The Sentry. Unfortunately, the World No. 1, Scottie Scheffler, was forced to withdraw after having hand surgery. But that doesn’t mean the field isn’t still loaded. Among the big names near the top is Will Zalatoris.

Zalatoris fired off a bogey-free 8-under 65 at the Kapalua Resort Plantation Course on Thursday. That placed him one shot off the lead, currently held by Tom Hoge. Following his round, the 28-year-old addressed the media and fielded questions about his new look.

“I typically end up losing somewhere between five and 10 pounds every year. I left Colorado at 163, and I weighed in before I left at 182… I’ve put in… a lot of work in the gym with Damon Goddard,” Zalatoris said proudly. “I could stand up on any tee and pop off a 180 ball speed, but I want to do that for as long as I can. Hopefully, this is something that’s going to help for the long term.”

The California native’s change in physique was quite visible and appears to be paying off.

Zalatoris burst onto the scene, winning the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 2021. That season, he finished second at the Masters and built off a strong rookie season in 2022. He finished second at both the PGA Championship and The Open. But several injuries have derailed Zalatoris’ career since that point. The torque he was putting on his 6’2” frame at 160 lbs. was too much for his body to handle.

So, he made a change this offseason.

“I was tired of people telling me I have a 22-inch waist and all that stuff. No, I needed it because it was, if you look at the weeks that I had throughout the year, my best weeks were always the first of a stretch… The events that I’ve won as a professional… it’s been in, like, the third or fourth week. And I just, by the third or fourth week, I was down a couple of miles an hour in swing speed, I didn’t really feel very good, I wasn’t driving it great, and it’s just hard to play out here like that. I knew I needed to get stronger.”

If Zalatoris’ play on Thursday is any indication of his physical progress, golf fans might be treated to a level of consistency not yet seen from him.

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