Will Zalatoris opens with 65 at Kapalua: ‘Best I’ve felt’ after offseason weight gain

No, it wasn’t so Will Zalatoris would stop hearing jokes about his slim waist and rail-thin arms.

The 28-year-old packed on nearly 20 pounds this offseason so he could extend his career.

Indeed, it’s been a frustrating two years for one of the game’s brightest stars. After a few close calls in majors, and then his breakthrough victory at the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship, Zalatoris suffered a back injury, tried to play through it, opted for surgery, and then spent much of 2024 trying to discover his new normal.

There were a few tweaks along his journey. Zalatoris altered his setup to alleviate some of the torque on his lower back. He also switched to the broomstick putter to shore up his stroke inside 10 feet. But the biggest change of all, he said, was to his body.

“The ceiling is something that I wanted to keep raising,” he told reporters Thursday at the season-opening Sentry in Hawaii, “because I knew that if I was going to be sitting at 160 pounds and trying to hit it 300 yards out here, it’s not a recipe for longevity.”

So over the past few months, with the help of health coach Damon Goddard, Zalatoris started to intentionally pack on the pounds. He wanted to feel like he didn’t have to swing at 110 percent anymore. That he didn’t have to fire off of just adrenaline. That he was built to last. He’s up to about 182 pounds on his 6-foot-2-inch frame and feels as good as he ever has.

That was evident Thursday at Kapalua, always one of the toughest walks of the year.

“Normally I’m huffing and puffing,” he said of his climb up the grueling ninth hole, “and I was like, OK, I know it’s Thursday and we’ve been off for a while, but that’s the best I’ve felt. So it’s felt really good.”

Even when he thought he was at full strength last year, Zalatoris learned that he really wasn’t. Now, he said, he hasn’t required the same level of treatments, nor has he needed a cortisone shot since August. He’s stronger and more stable. He’s optimistic he’ll be able to play long stretches without issue.

Those are all encouraging signs for a player who could rebound in a big way this year, especially if he can continue to make strides on the greens. During the offseason he also worked with performance coach Josh Gregory to refine his stroke with the long putter from the birdie make zone, 10 to 25 feet. In practice, Gregory had Zalatoris attempt 30 putts – five putts each from 10, 12, 15, 20 and 25 feet. The goal was to make nine of those attempts, which would put him in a positive strokes-gained category.

Through one round, at least, he’s already seeing some results. Zalatoris made four putts longer than 15 feet on the Plantation Course and ranked third in putting for the day.

“That was probably the best I’ve putted from 10 to 25 feet, maybe ever,” Zalatoris said. “It’s a nice way to start the year.”

And so, too, was his Day 1 score – an 8-under 65 that put him just one shot off of Tom Hoge’s early lead.