Will Zalatoris has packed on muscle to gain more distance as he outlined the yards he has made both on and off the course ahead of his debut at the Nedbank Golf Challenge.
The American is known for his wiry frame, but a combination of time spent in the gym and an increased-calorie daily diet has bulked out his physique during a quiet stretch of competitive play.
After two years where he has been plagued by injury, Zalatoris is this week set for his 22nd appearance of 2024 at the prestigious DP World Tour event in South Africa.
“It has been a great off season,” said Zalatoris, who ranked 77th for Driving Distance on the PGA TOUR in the 2024 season. “I have worked probably the hardest I ever have.
“I picked up 15 pounds of muscle this off-season. I absolutely busted my tail trying to get my speed back, really get better with the broomstick and it has been good.
“I haven’t played much but that was on purpose. I wanted to be home, be able to eat my 4,500 calories a day and 200 grams of protein and train and get better.
“If you think about it, I haven’t really had an off-season I guess since 2019. We used to have the wraparound and then I have had two seasons rehabbing my back so it’s kind of nice to have a year where instead of rehabbing I am actually progressing.”
The PGA TOUR winner withdrew from the Nedbank Golf Challenge ahead of the 2022 edition due to a back injury that stalled his career progression, after three runner-up finishes in Major Championships.
As a result, he is delighted to have a scorecard in his hand in Sun City after years of watching the tournament from afar as he joins countryman and defending champion Max Homa in the elite 66-strong field.
“There are no Tour events, and you stay up late at night back home,” he says.
“I have watched it for a decade. You see the beautiful build on 18 and you see it is Africa’s Major but then once you experience it you realise this is the real deal.
“It is a great build on 18 and it will be an awesome vibe all week.”
Alongside the challenge of testing your game at Gary Player Country Club, one of the longest courses on Tour, much of the attraction for visiting players is the chance to encounter wildlife – something Zalatoris did during a safari trip earlier in the week.
“It was incredible,” he reflected. “We saw everything you could think of: lions, monkeys, giraffes, hippos, everything. Big five, little five, ugly five… all of it. It was just an amazing experience.”
When it comes to matters on the course, Zalotoris is looking forward to the “unique” challenge the layout presents for players.
“You don’t see this a lot in the states because we don’t get the ball on the ground this fast and rolling,” he reflected on his first experiences in practice.
“The green shapes are extremely unique. There is not a cookie cutter green on any single hole. There are a lot of inlets, you have got to pick your spots and the right distance.
“I love it [this style of golf]. You can’t fake it. You have got to hit a good golf shot. Even though scores over the last few years have crept to 15-20 under par plus, the wind swirls a lot around here.
“Even in the first three days that I have been here, I have been posing on shots and then they’ve been going in the bunker. I have heard that from guys the last few years who have come out here that there a lots of swirling winds, but you have just got to be patient.”
