Will Zalatoris' back surgery helped fix his putting woes
Will Zalatoris has gained strokes on the greens in three straight events, which isn't a normal occurrence for the notoriously poor putter. It's only the third time in his career he's gained strokes with the putter three starts in a row.
This trend is even more surprising when you consider Zalatoris is only five starts removed from a microdiscectomy on two herniated discs in his back. It's not easy for professional golfers to return from injury and pick up where they left off, especially after a major back surgery. Just ask Tiger Woods.
But for Zalatoris, his back surgery actually helped him repair his biggest weakness.
After undergoing surgery in April, the 27-year-old had to wait five months before he could swing a golf club again. So, he got to work on his short game. According to ESPN, Zalatoris started trying out new putters and putter strokes in his downtime. One of the flatsticks he experimented with was an L.A.B Golf broomstick, which has become increasingly popular on the PGA Tour.
Lucas Glover added an L.A.B. Golf broomstick to his bag last season and won back-to-back events. Adam Scott, Byeong Hun An, and Grayson Murray also recently successfully switched to L.A.B. models. Zalatoris was intrigued, but switching from an armlock putter to a broomstick requires ample time and heavy repetitions.
Thanks to his recent back procedure, all he had was time.
"Really just being able to go out and just kind of screw around with it, it probably took three to four months to kind of figure out the blueprint for it," Zalatoris told ESPN. "It's just so simple. I get my setup correct and make sure my eyes are over the ball and just rock the shoulders. That something is that simple [for me] is really good."
Zalatoris understandably struggled in his first two starts back on Tour, but his putting stats have improved with each of his five starts this season. He gained a season-high 2.3 strokes from putting at The Genesis Invitational en route to a T2 finish, and he gained strokes on the greens again in the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard.
If Zalatoris can remain confident with his new putting stroke for the rest of the season, the rising star will be a serious threat to secure his first major championship title.
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