More Chaos In The World Of Golf: FedEx Cup Leader Will Zalatoris Withdraws From BMW Championship With Back Injury

Andy Lyons. Getty Images.

Damn man what a bummer this is to see. First we've been dealing with the possibility of the Champion Golfer of the Year Cameron Smith fleeing the PGA Tour. Now Will Zalatoris, the new superstar who just won for the first time last week and is atop the FedEx Cup playoff standings, has to WD a mere five days before the TOUR Championship.

Willy Z entered the weekend at three under par, five strokes off the 36-hole lead held by Adam Scott. He was one under through four holes on Saturday after birdieing the par-5 third. All three of the longer tee shots he hit today found the left rough, and on one of those swings, Zally pulled up in clear discomfort:

Unclear if he was already hurt before this or if this triggered the back issue. Zalatoris is one of the longest hitters on Tour despite his wiry build. At the 2021 Open Championship, he was forced to withdraw due to a back injury as well, so for the 26-year-old phenom, this is becoming an unsettling trend.

Far be it from me to criticize anything macro about a golfer of Zalatoris' caliber. However, a logical next step would be to hit the weight room and pack on some muscle during the offseason. Overtraining can backfire, but Willy Z doesn't need to be a bodybuilder. Just carrying a little extra weight should help his muscular stamina and decrease the likelihood of recurring back problems.

A golfer's back is always vulnerable to wear and tear over the course of a long career. Zalatoris is young enough right now to make some actionable changes. In the very short term, I hope this is more of a precautionary move as opposed to something more serious. If he can play next week at East Lake and is healthy enough, he'll still have a great shot at earning that $18 million bonus. Let's just hope Willy Z is OK and that Scott Fawcett doesn't share any of his wild-ass thoughts on the matter.

Twitter @MattFitz_gerald