PGA Tour star Will Zalatoris forced out of Rocket Mortgage Classic

Will Zalatoris, 27, was forced to withdraw from the third round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club after suffering a hip injury. The PGA Tour star, who experienced a ‘pop’ in his hip on his ‘good side,’ left the tournament after completing eight holes.

Zalatoris was 3-over par for the day and 4-under for the tournament when he decided to withdraw. His round included a birdie at the 3rd hole, but he struggled with bogeys on the 2nd, 4th, and 5th, and a double-bogey on the 7th. Despite making a birdie at the par-3 8th, the discomfort was too significant for him to continue, and he opted to shake hands with his playing partners and exit the course.

This marks the second time in two months that Zalatoris has had to withdraw from a PGA Tour event, following a previous withdrawal at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in April due to a back injury. The withdrawal is another setback for Zalatoris, who underwent a microdiscectomy for herniated disks in his back in April 2023. Since returning to competition, he has participated in 15 events this season, with three top-10 finishes, including a second-place tie at the Genesis Invitational and a ninth-place tie at The Masters.

Zalatoris, currently ranked 42nd in the world, has faced a challenging and injury-plagued two seasons. He previously won the 2022 FedEx St Jude Championship but has struggled with health issues ever since. At the time of his withdrawal from the Rocket Mortgage Classic, Akshay Bhatia and Aaron Rai were leading the tournament at 17-under par, with Cameron Young and Cam Davis closely trailing by one shot.