Zalatoris Misses Cognizant With Injury, Gives No Details

Will Zalatoris missed another PGA Tour event over the weekend with an injury.

But this time, it wasn’t a back problem. The 29-year-old former Wake Forest star withdrew Thursday from the Cognizant Classic in at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, citing a left ankle injury. Nico Etchavarria won the tournament.

Something must have happened between an interview after Wednesday’s pro-am and Thursday morning.

“It’s great,” Zalatoris said following his Pro-Am round when asked about his chronic back problems, not mentioning any ankle injury. “Beause I’m able to go week in, week out, and now it’s just about executing.”

Following two back surgeries since 2023, Zalatoris is playing on the Tour through a medical exemption. He has 14 tournaments remaining on the exemption. After that, he will earn playing spots based on normal Tour criteria.

Zalatoris won the 2022 St. Jude Championship and finished in the top 28 of each of that year’s major championships, including runner-up finishes at the U.S. Open and PGA Championship.

Zalatoris did not specify the extent of the ankle injury. He is not entered in this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, a Tour signature event at Bay Hill Club in Orlando, Florida.