Will Zalatoris: How Hard Is He Working In His Career Path?

Will Zalatoris is unlucky in that he ends up as the second-runner-up rather than the winner. It was only a fraction of an inch that was needed for his final putt on the 18th green at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, to fall into the cup.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans. He is a hard worker and determined, so perhaps he will win next time.

In this article, you will get to know about Will Zalatoris’ background and career, including how he rose to instant popularity and made it to the finals.

Will Zalatoris – The Pro Golfer

Born as William Patrick Zalatoris on August 16, 1996 in San Francisco, California, his parents’ names are Richard Zalatoris and Catherine Zalatoris.

Catherine, his mother, is an Oregon alumna who competed on the track and field team. Will is currently 25 years old and already achieving a lot to be a successful golfer everyday. His nationality is American.

Will Zalatoris got engaged to his love of life, Caitlyn Sellers, on April 26, 2021. They met in 2018 at Wake Forest college, and dated for almost three years.

Academics and Career

In 2014, Zalatoris represented the Trinity Christian Academy in suburban Dallas, Texas, where he earned the title of the U.S Junior Amatuer.

When it comes to his education, Will Zalatoris attended Wake Forest College in North Carolina. He got the title of the ACC Participant of the Year in 2017.

Eventually, he became a member of the U.S Walker Cup team in the year 2017, alongside future PGA Tour champions Collin Morikawa and Cameron Champ.

Will Zalatoris later left the school, Wake Forest, with one semester remaining in January 2018 after establishing himself in professional golf.

Unfortunately, he didn’t get it through the first round of the Korn Ferry Tour Q School. Instead, he depended on Monday qualifying and sponsor exemptions to compete in Korn Ferry Tour tournaments in 2019 due to his lack of eligibility.

But when it came to his profession, he put in a lot of effort and realized exactly what he wanted to do. 

After a tie for third place in the LECOM Health Challenge on July 7, he was granted membership for the rest of the season.

He ended the regular season 60th in points, where he earned full status for the 2020 season. At that time, his coaches were Troy Denton and Josh Gregory.

In a statement, he said:

“I’m just sticking to the day-to-day and learning, and working with Josh and Troy have really paid off for me. It’s probably about two years ago where I really wanted to own my golf game where I could understand my habits and things like that.”

The Professional Beginnings 

In July 2020, Zalatoris won his first professional tournament, the TPC Colorado Championship, by one shot. 

With the result, he climbed to the top of the Korn Ferry Tour points standings and qualified for the US Open at Winged Foot. 

Zalatoris successfully passed the par-3 7th hole in the opening round of the US Open, closely matching it six shots later.

His dedication led him to finish in sixth place with world number one Dustin Johnson at five-over par. And this achievement was his first top 10 result in a major competition.

With the power of passion, Zalatoris also achieved T8 in the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship.

He earned Special Temporary Member status following the Bermuda Championship in early November.

In 2021, Will Zalatoris was selected as the PGA Tour rookie of the year. He was the first sportsman in the history of 20 years to win a title without being a full member of the PGA Tour.

When the season completed, he had collected enough points to tie for 25th place in the FedEx Cup rankings.

Zalatoris tied for first place in the Farmers Insurance Open following 72 holes in January 2022. 

When Luke List struck his approach shot to within a foot of the first playoff hole and scored birdie, he lost a dramatic playoff to List.

His last round was only a hair away from being a win, Zalatoris came in second in a big tournament for the second attempt in May 2022. 

In the PGA Championship, which happened at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Zalatoris fell in a playoff once again to Justin Thomas.

Zalatoris’s competitors have predicted that he might win because he’s a great player, and that he will win eventually, but he will have to wait until that day.

Zalatoris finished second in another major tournament in June of 2022. He again tied for second place with Scottie Scheffler against Matt Fitzpatrick in the US Open.

Because of being runner-up for the third time, Will Zalatoris is growing all too acquainted with consolation trophies. 

“It stings obviously to have three runners-up so far in my career in majors,” Will said. “We’re obviously doing the right things. I’d pay a lot of money for about an inch and a half, and I’d probably be a three-time major champion at this point. We’ll just keep doing what we’re doing.”

However, he is 25 years old, and Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth, and Rory McIlroy won their first major championships at a very young age.

“It’s just little things. It’s not the same thing at every single one. We’re talking inches. It’s not like I finished runner-up by four or five a few times,” said Zalatoris.

“It’s been one for all three. So I’ve just got to keep doing what I’m doing. I’ve got to keep knocking on the door because eventually, like I said earlier, the comfort level is there,” he concluded.

Net Worth

Playing golf professionally is his main source of income. Will Zalatoris’s net worth is estimated to be $5 million and playing golf professionally is his main source of income.

Will has several endorsements, promotional, and branding opportunities. He has risen quickly through the top 50 players of the world. 

Undoubtedly, Will climbed from 672nd in the international rankings at the start of 2020 to 46th by April 2021. It put him among some of the PGA Tour’s top golf players.