4,500 calories. 200 grams of protein. 15 pounds of muscle. That’s the new Willy Z for you all. The American International was dubbed Happy Gilmore’s caddie among fan circles for his wiry frame. But you can’t call Will Zalatoris that anymore. He is bulking up – it’s a work in progress says he – and gained more speed. But fans have reasons to worry about it.
The 28-year-old Wake Forest alum is currently in South Africa for the DP World Tour’s Nedbank Golf Challenge. Zalatoris opened with a 2-over 74 at the Gary Player Golf Course. Two years ago a back injury forced him to withdraw from here. But the one-time PGA Tour winner hopes that won’t be a problem anymore as the training regimen has changed.
Speaking after the round, Will Zalatoris exuded confidence. “I have worked probably the hardest I ever have. I picked up 15 pounds of muscle this off-season. I absolutely busted my tail trying to get my speed back, really get better with the broomstick and it has been good. I haven’t played much but that was on purpose. I wanted to be home, be able to eat my 4,500 calories a day and 200 grams of protein and train and get better.”
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Well, he might have busted his ‘tail’, but what about his back? That’s what made fans worried. He is not the first golfer to do this. Neither is he the first Texan to walk down the lane. It didn’t really work out (pun intended) for any of them very well.
Fans sound alarm bells for Will Zalatoris (and his back)
Golf and bulking up might not get paired very often but when it does, we have a Tiger Woods and a Bryson DeChambeau. The former, a fitness freak, took working out and bulking up to a stage which in retrospect many believe might have had inevitable knock-on effects.
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When the Stanford alum first crashed on the PGA Tour, he was a lean guy with a powerful swing. Post 2010, Tiger Woods started putting more weight and he was absolutely bulked up around 2014. Woods’s former coach, Hank Haney cautioned, “When he was thinner and younger he was actually faster then. The strength maybe helps you get out of the rough but I’d agree that he’s overdone it.”
Woods’s back didn’t hold up. The last of his surgery came as recently as this September. One fan wanted to remind Will Zalatoris of that albeit with a tinge of sarcasm. “Putting on extra muscle worked wonders for Tigers (sic!) back.” On the other hand, DeChambeau, a fellow Texan, had walked down the path. And regretted. The 6000-calorie diet gave him more distance, which is Zalatoris’s goal as well, but it messed up his guts, to put in DeChambeau’s words. “Didn’t work for Bryson or Tiger. Golf is a game of smoothness,” wrote one user.
USA Today via Reuters Jan 27, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; Will Zalatoris hits out of a bunker on the sixth hole during the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines Municipal Golf Course – South Course. Mandatory Credit: Ray Acevedo-USA TODAY Sports
Zalatoris, at 28, has had troubles with his back. Last year, he pulled out of the Masters and underwent back surgery. After a long hiatus, Will Zalatoris first teed off in the 2023 Hero World Challenge. But his form has hit the skids. He could manage only three top-tens this season compared to the nine he did in 2021-22.
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It’s no surprise that fans cautioned him. “Careful bro with your back,” wrote one user. Another echoed, “Protect your back dawg.” On the positive side, Zalatoris has already taken other measures to ‘protect’ his back. For example, he went through a swing change. Now he plays the ball a bit forward swinging the club more horizontally that puts some weight off his back.
‘Didn’t Work for Bryson or Tiger’: PGA Tour Star Unsettles Fans With Risky Fitness Move
