Will Zalatoris is set to make his long-awaited comeback at the end of the year following surgery in May 2025 to repair herniated discs that sidelined him for the majority of the season.

The American struggled early in the year, missing the cut at both the Masters and PGA Championship, prompting him to investigate the root cause of his poor form.

After his back problems flared up at the PGA Championship, the PGA Tour standout pulled out of the Charles Schwab Challenge before revealing on social media that he would be out for an extended stretch due to surgery. It comes as Phil Mickelson offered his verdict on his next LIV Golf target.

In the months since, the 29-year-old has been patiently working through his rehabilitation process. His injury sparked debate about whether Zalatoris made the correct choice in turning down LIV Golf’s $130 million offer to stay loyal to the PGA Tour.

More than six months after initially announcing the procedure, Zalatoris has recovered sufficiently to return to competition.

The “Africas Major” social media account confirmed that Zalatoris will tee it up in the DP World Tour’s Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa. “The PGA TOUR stars are coming! American Will Zalatoris is back for his second shot at glory in ‘Africa’s Major’,” the post’s caption read.

The Nedbank Golf Challenge runs from December 4 through December 7. His comeback to competitive play in South Africa will mark his first tournament appearance since sustaining the injury.

Notably, Zalatoris’ back problem forced him to sit out the chance to play for Team USA at Bethpage Black, where Team Europe claimed victory in front of an energetic New York audience.

When the injury first occurred, Zalatoris shared on Instagram: “Hey everyone, sharing a health update. This Spring, I started feeling some discomfort and instability in my back that progressively got worse.

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“Following the PGA Championship, an MRI showed that I had re-herniated two discs. After discussing the options with my medical team, I underwent surgery this past Friday with Dr. Michael Duffy at the Texas Back Institute.

“I’m happy to say that I woke up feeling good and excited about my long-term back health. Time to focus on my recovery and get back after it. Thank you to my team, friends, and family for being there for me throughout this journey. Looking forward to seeing everyone in the fall!”.

This wasn’t Zalatoris’ first encounter with the injury, as he’d previously undergone surgery in April 2023. The American’s 2023 injury occurred following his victory at the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship.

During his rehabilitation period, Zalatoris packed on 20 lbs and revealed his reasoning behind the decision to add muscle mass.