Will Zalatoris withdrew from the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic as a precautionary measure after suffering a hip injury during round three, the PGA Tour player's manager has said.
Zalatoris was seven-under for the tournament prior to Saturday's play beginning but struggled through his first eight holes - sitting at three-over on the day thanks to three bogeys and a double.
But, despite making birdie at the third and eighth, the 27-year-old felt compelled to call it a day on the ninth tee, bidding farewell to playing partners Nick Dunlap and Dylan Wu.
Speaking to CBS Sports' Amanda Balionis afterwards, the one-time PGA Tour winner revealed he "felt something pop" in what he described as his "good hip" after a playing a shot - his "bad hip" being the one further away from where he underwent a microdiscectomy procedure in April 2023, not long after pulling out of The Masters.
The San Francisco-born golfer also admitted that playing his fourth week in a row had "finally caught up with me."
Here is a statement from Allen Hobbs about Will Zalatoris and his decision to WD from the Rocket Mortgage Classic: pic.twitter.com/KTHeWn3imFJune 29, 2024
In a statement released later on Saturday, Zalatoris' manager Allen Hobbs suggested the issue may not be too serious, though, labelling his client's decision to stop playing as precautionary.
Hobbs said: “Will experienced some discomfort after a swing today and, out of utmost precaution, made the tough decision to withdraw.
"It’s important that he listens to his body and gets some rest. He hates to withdraw from the Rocket Mortgage Classic and looks forward to getting back out on the course soon.”
Zalatoris' injury issues out on tour began at the 2022 BMW Championship - during the FedEx Cup playoffs - when he suffered two herniated discs in his lower back. Only the week before had the American won his first PGA Tour title at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
Returning at the 2023 Sentry, Zalatoris made just seven starts all year prior to undergoing another round of season-ending surgery 48 hours on from pulling out of The Masters.
Following further rehab and swing changes to alleviate the pressure on his back, Zalatoris made his latest return alongside Tiger Woods at the Hero World Challenge in December, finishing 20th out of 20 on 11-over - nine shots adrift of Wyndham Clark.
Zalatoris' 2024 form began surprisingly well, however, securing a runner-up finish at the 2024 Genesis Invitational before banking top-10 results at both the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Masters.
His results since have not been as impressive, though, managing a best of T41 at the Memorial Tournament and missing the cut twice in seven starts.
A close call for @WillZalatoris!He’s 7-under after a tap-in birdie @RocketClassic. pic.twitter.com/NR3KgHQqXlJune 28, 2024
Discussing his tumultuous year after an opening 66 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic on Thursday, Zalatoris admitted it has been tough to endure.
He said: “It's been a grind this year, to put it mildly, coming back from surgery, trying to integrate the changes, and I feel like I put one round together and then maybe kind of don't have it another day.
“So, I didn't really see many positives for about a month there, and it's nice to see a couple low rounds already.”
