Media Center Interviews
April 2, 2026
First Round Interview with Will Zalatoris
Q. What was working today, will?
WILL ZALATORIS: Kind of had it all going. I mean, this is probably the easiest you're going to see TPC San Antonio, ball in hand, no wind and we had some rain this morning. Kind of nice to get out and making birdies around this place. It's very rare to throw that many birdies around here especially on a Norman course. Thought I did a really good job of rolling it great throughout most of the day, pretty good speed. Drove it great, too. Hit a lot of fairways, so that gave me a lot of really good looks having the ball in hand.
Q. You just said over there the last few years have been hell. What was it like when all of a sudden you have a different injury? It was ankle, correct?
WILL ZALATORIS: It's all related to the back. It was basically the nerve that -- the sciatic nerve going down -- basically from the ankle down I couldn't feel anything. Basically, you know, the reality is that I'm 10 months removed from basically having my back reconstructed. If I'm complaining about just a little thing here and there, I'll still take it. The patience game is obviously brutal because it's even like a day like today where I make eight birdies and we're still talking about it, but that's been my last three years. So it's kind of nice to be able to come out, and my routine's a little bit longer. I'm still 29, I still have some spunk in me, but I still feel like a 29-year-old who's had three back surgeries for sure.
Q. How do you feel physically after a round like today?
WILL ZALATORIS: Really good. Not too thrilled with kind of how I hit it coming in until I hit that dart on 9. This is just, it's constantly learning. Every round I play I'm picking up on something. I think I've only played eight competitive PGA TOUR rounds and then 12 rounds in total since I went to South Africa. The sample size is still really small. I think the part that's hard too is when you're on a major medical, you don't get to really pick your tournaments. This is an event that even though I'm from Texas, I haven't played in the past once I got on Tour mainly just because I liked having the week before Augusta off because it's such a mentally stressful week. 1 But the fact that I'm able to spend time at home, work on my body, treat every single day like it's a tournament day and see how my body responds, I'm kind of getting back a little bit to how we did it at the end of COVID when we were able to play golf here in Texas where it's just hey, go out and play with guys, play money games. My days of five-hour grind sessions on the range are over, but I also don't need to be working that long in the first place. So far, like I said, body's has been responding great to treatment. Austin's here this week, he's got me moving really good. Let's just keep it going.
Q. Is a strong round like this more (inaudible) because of some of the challenges you've come through?
WILL ZALATORIS: It feels great, but it's Thursday at 2:00. I've still got a long way to go. Yes, anytime I can throw up eight birdies, even if it's just at home, I'll absolutely keep that one in the memory bank.
Q. How much though do you start thinking about Augusta?
WILL ZALATORIS: I mean, I have my yardage book at home, rather at our rental, but after everything that I've kind of gone through, I'm just glad that I'm able to do this. I think there were probably a few moments that I thought I was done just considering the pain that I was in day to day, but the fact that I'm able to come out and do this again and stripe it the way I did and still have 178 ball speed, you know, after everything I've been through, it's still really encouraging. If anything, it's kind of been a blessing too having this time off and not be able to hit balls because I think everybody knows I needed to work on my putting, and that's all I've done for basically the last two years and how to learn to use the broomstick and it's paid off.
Q. You made a bomb on 18. Anywhere elsewhere the putter was big?
WILL ZALATORIS: Just a lot of six- to 10-footers today. I missed one three-footer that I just didn't hit a good putt, but besides that I really rolled it awesome. I mean, I've been working with Blair Philip for the last six months and he's really taught me a lot really how to use the broomstick. Kind of taught me to get my own Ph.D. in how I see greens, how to read 'em. It's been fun for sure to kind of keep learning even after being out here for 6-ish years. Yeah, we've got to keep on going. This is only my 13th round since I've come back so lots of patience still.
Q. Yesterday you shouted out Lucas. What does it mean to have like young golfers look up to you as a role model?
WILL ZALATORIS: Yeah, I saw his response and oh, my gosh, I don't even know what to say. I mean, the fact that he was watching me at THE PLAYERS and I remember walking off of 2 and him saying "nice putt," and then hearing him call everything out or do the announcing, that's just, it's so cool. I mean, it's why we're out here. Stuff like that is why it's so fun. You've got 20 kids behind you right now asking for autographs. That's where you get to pinch yourself that I get to do this every day.
