Tournament organizers at The CJ Cup Byron Nelson were already dealing with an unhappy title sponsor due to an historically poor field. Today, the longtime tour stop lost Will Zalatoris, who, along with Jordan Spieth, was being marketed as the event’s co-headliner.
Citing a still-recovering back issue, the 27-year-old Texan officially withdrew from his hometown tournament.
“I am frustrated to miss a tournament I’ve attended since I was nine years old,” he posted to social media. “The Nelson and the Salesmanship Club have been so great to me my entire playing career and I hope to win Mr. Nelson’s trophy someday.
“My back needs some rest and recovery. I am ahead of scheduled according to my doctors but unfortunately the first six months back are the most important for the long term health of my back. I need to be prudent to make sure I don’t miss a big chunk of time again.
“I hate that a flare up happened during one of my favorite weeks all year but we knew something like this was a possibility early on in my return to golf.”
Zalatoris is expected to tee it up in Charlotte next week for the Wells Fargo, one of the PGA Tour’s big-money ($20M) signature events. He will then head to Kentucky for the 2024 PGA Championship, the season’s second major.
