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Is It Meant To Be For Willy Z?

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8 Feet From Glory

Standing over an eight-foot putt to claim his first win on Tour, Will Zalatoris faced his breakthrough moment wielding his weakest club. After striking the ball a bit off of the toe of his putter, the ball rolled uphill without any conviction. The Titleist Pro-V1 eventually turned left at the last second as his hopes for victory dashed. With both hands on his knees, Zalatoris bent over in disbelief after the miss. I’m curious, did anyone think the putt was going in? Maybe Greg Norman watching through his blinding narcissism. Unfortunately, while many storylines surfaced at Torrey Pines, I am afraid Will’s missed putt leaves us all stranded at the crossroads of his future prospects.

Ugly Truth For The California Pretty Boy

To begin, let’s paint the picture for the young man from California. Will Zalatoris, a 25-year-old with a bright future, finds himself behind the curve in some aspects. At this time in their careers, Justin Thomas had 9 wins along with Spieth’s 11. Zalatoris currently searches for number 1. As we analyze his game a step further, his incompetence with the flat stick stands out. Known for being one of the best ball strikers on tour, his putting statistics sink near the bottom of the field. Currently sitting at 141st in Strokes-Gained-Putting, Zalatoris stands alone at number 1 in Strokes-Gained-Tee-to-Green. Seemingly, the polar opposite nature of his game exposes his ability to close out victories.

Shine Bright Like Brooks' Golden Locks

Transitioning towards the brighter side of Willy Z’s game, we must celebrate his major track record thus far. His presence resembles Brooks on the big stage minus the ungodly attention whore blonde bravado. In 2020, the ball striking phenom finished T6 at the U.S. Open at Winged Foot. Zalatoris battled against a course with perhaps the most penal rough tour players face. Just ask Harris English, who lost his ball on the first tee shot of the fourth round. Next up on my list, the Ocean Course at Kiawah. Zalatoris placed T8 among other big hitters in the field. Jon Rahm and Collin Morikawa shared a score of -1 with Willy Z, the PGA Tour’s Rookie of the Year for 2021. Finally, Zalatoris hosted a clinic at Augusta last April. The first time Masters competitor fell short to Hideki Matsuyama by one stroke. And while the legend from Japan slipped on the green jacket, Will Zalatoris captured our affection and ran with it. 

Ball Striking Jessie Stuck In Neutral

As I finish up this reflection on Zalatoris, I cannot help but echo Brandel Chamblee’s perspective on winning. Chamblee explained that the winner on Tour each week will be the best putter among the best ball strikers. Clearly, Zalatoris strikes the ball as good if not better than the rest. However, the putter continues to shake like a leaf. Furthermore, this inconsistency is exactly what leads golf journalists towards a crossroads over the young man. Perhaps, the thought about Will Zalatoris needs to shift from “it’s just a matter of time” to  “does Will have the winning ability we all hope he does?”

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taylor

As a freelance writer, Taylor McCutcheon will focus on golf adjacent, cultural content in the world of golf. Welcome Taylor to the team and help spread the word by sharing his content.

***Taylor's opinions and commentary are his own and do not necessarily represent the Tour Junkies as a whole.