Zalatoris

BROOKLINE, Mass. – The emotion was palpable, the sting more severe. His runner-up finish at last month's PGA Championship instilled confidence.

It was only last year that he was named PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year after starting the year without any status. All the while, he maintains a keen understanding of golf’s complex nature and a willingness to embrace it. But Zalatoris moved up to eighth in the FedExCup, 12th in the world ranking and bolstered his Presidents Cup candidacy. I think that’s a big reason why he’s had a consistent rise the last three, three-and-a-half years.” He thrives on golf’s most difficult setups and embraces the stage. He tapped in for a 5-under total and a share of second with longtime friend Scottie Scheffler, who’d nabbed his first major earlier this year at the Masters. He’s been a fixture on major leaderboards in the last two years, making it easy to forget from where he has come. His first runner-up came in the 2021 Masters. He was grateful for the opportunity after playing his way off of the Korn Ferry Tour and into the top 50 in the world. He stated that he would be prepared for the next opportunity. This was the third runner-up finish of the season for Zalatoris, the highest-ranked player in both the FedExCup and world ranking without a PGA TOUR win. I thought I played great all week, especially getting off to the start that I did today (2 over through three). “It stings, obviously … to have three runners-up so far in my career in majors.

In the Englishman's wake were the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, Hideki Matsuyama, Rory McIlroy and Will Zalatoris. What separates the U.S. Open ...

When it was 2 feet out, I was like, oh, yeah, that one's in, and for some reason it went off to the left. Defeat is difficult and the process isn’t for everyone, but even after another runner-up showing, another opportunity lost, the destination was still clear. His normally machine-like ball-striking let him down when he needed it the most, and he finished the championship near the bottom of the field in strokes gained: off the tee (55th). His putting, by contrast, was solid and his performance should at least begin to dispel the notion that his short game is holding him back. There was his 17-footer for birdie on No. 9 to move to within a stroke of the lead, which bounced between Fitzpatrick and Scheffler for much of the afternoon. It just so happens the last two majors he's been up against great champions in Fitzy and Justin Thomas [at the PGA Championship],” said Scheffler, who tied for second with Zalatoris. “I was watching the putt on 18. A Masters rookie hasn’t won at Augusta National in more than four decades and it’s probably tough to convince yourself that you’re the exception. “I was pretty sporadic off the tee here and there. Golf is littered with players who were never able to turn close into a coronation and, fairly or not, many of the snake-bitten were relegated to careers that felt underachieved. For most 25-year-olds it would be a resume worth celebrating, but late Sunday on the south end of Boston, Zalatoris wasn’t interested in a celebration. There was an appreciation for what he’d done well, not a crushing desire to lament what had gone wrong. For Willy Z, last year’s near-miss at Augusta National was his first time in contention at a major. Zalatoris, a rail-thin ringer for Owen Wilson who crashed the PGA Tour party during the lonely pandemic days and has become a perennial contender, was playing for his first big-league triumph, be it major or otherwise.

Will Zalatoris missed a 14-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole at the U.S. Open that would have put him in a playoff with eventual winner Matt Fitzpatrick.

On the par-3 16th, Zalatoris made a birdie to sit 1 back. On the 15th, he missed the fairway again. On the 12th hole, he missed the fairway and had to punch out, which led to a 2-putt for bogey. The 2021 Masters runner-up's usual problems have come with his putter, but as he said with a smile on Sunday, his putting was just fine. "With about six feet to go, I thought I had it," Zalatoris said of his putt. After missing a 14-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole that would have put him in a playoff with winner Matt Fitzpatrick, Zalatoris couldn't help but sigh as he was given the silver medal for runner-up at the U.S. Open on Sunday. He spoke to the media while screens showed Fitzpatrick hoisting the trophy, and then Zalatoris walked off with a forced smile.