Will Zalatoris to Miss 2027 Season for Back Surgery

Will Zalatoris plans to miss the entire 2027 PGA Tour season to recover from a third back operation, a spinal-fusion surgery he expects to undergo in November. The 30-year-old said he hopes the procedure will address persistent back problems, but he has not promised a return to competition. Zalatoris announced his plans Wednesday at a media event for the Austin Championship. He said three PGA Tour physical therapists had told him the operation would need to be done at some point, prompting him to proceed. The surgery is planned, not yet completed, and he expects to spend the following season recovering. He is entered in the Austin Championship, scheduled for November 12-15, before the operation. Whether he will be able to play remains uncertain. The event would be his first competitive appearance since the Valero Texas Open in April, according to reports of his schedule. The operation would follow two earlier procedures: a microdiscectomy in 2023 and a disc replacement in 2025. Zalatoris has said his back problems have persisted for years. He has also dealt with a right labrum injury during 2026, a season in which he has made four PGA Tour appearances.