Eight birdies, five under, and still, Will Zalatoris keeps coming back to his back. That says it all.

He started the Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio on April 2 with a really strong round. For most players, that’s just a good day. For him, it felt bigger than that.

Just ten months ago, he was recovering from major back surgery. He had already gone through three procedures and wasn’t even sure if he would be able to compete again.

"I think there were probably a few moments that I thought I was done just considering the pain that I was in day to day," Zalatoris said.

The injury went beyond the spine. A sciatic nerve issue left him with zero feeling from his ankle down. Daily life was painful, and Golf felt distant. Yet on Thursday, he was out at TPC San Antonio striping fairways and draining putts like someone who never missed a beat.

He knows better than to get carried away, though.

"It feels great, but it's Thursday at 2:00," Zalatoris said. "I've still got a long way to go."

Thursday was only his 13th round since returning to competitive golf. On a major medical exemption, tournament selection was largely out of his hands, including this week, a stop he would normally skip to rest before Augusta. None of that stopped him from shooting 67.

"Still have 178 ball speed after everything I've been through," he said. "It's still really encouraging."

But what has been Zalatoris' recipe for success?

Will Zalatoris Working With a Broomstick for 2 years Changed Everything

Here’s the part not many people expected. While he was away from the game for months, Zalatoris focused on his putting. He worked with coach Blair Philip and started using a broomstick putter, rebuilding how he read greens from scratch.

"He taught me to get my own Ph.D. in how I see greens," Zalatoris said of Philip. "It's been fun to keep learning even after being out here for six-ish years."

Thursday showed it clearly. He was hitting big shots, making those six-to-ten-foot putts, and the only real mistake was one missed short putt. Everything else on the scorecard came from how well he putted.

When he walked off the 18th, kids were waiting by the ropes for autographs. After everything he has been through, moments like that just feel different.

"That's where you get to pinch yourself," Zalatoris said. "I get to do this every day."

Three back surgeries, ten months of working his way back, but after everything, eight birdies on a Thursday. Not bad at all.

Were you excited about Will Zalatoris comeback? Let us know in the comments!

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Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Kalp Thaker