The putt broke right, he knew that part. Fitzpatrick's ball rolled on a very similar line, so there was no excuse to miss it now. This 14'1" putt was for birdie to force a playoff at the 2022 U.S. Open, the 122nd playing of the event. The putt started online and looked like it would drop. Sadly, it missed an inch high and Will Zalatoris finished second, by a stroke. Probably the best ball striker on tour is still winless, with more than one runner-up finish at a major.
Image via Golf Channel
2021 Masters:
Will Zalatoris first burst onto the scene of major championship golf in 2021. Zalatoris was four strokes back heading into the final day, and he was drawing some eyes. The skinny boy that once played on the North Texas Junior PGA Tour was now on the biggest stage of golf. The crazy thing is: he was an exemption. He wasn't even officially on the PGA Tour! Because of this, Will's incredible run at Augusta National earned him his tour card for the foreseeable future. This runner-up finish in golf's biggest event was only the start of Will Zalatoris's impressive career.
Image via CBS Sports
2022 PGA Championship:
The 2022 PGA Championship is the closest Will has ever come to winning on the PGA Tour. Following months of the critics ripping on his putting, Zalatoris proved the haters wrong. On Saturday, Zalatoris did not miss a putt inside of five feet. To put that into perspective, the tour average is about 75% from that range. For how highly scrutinized his putting was entering the week, Zalatoris actually gained strokes against the field putting. Once again come Sunday, he was in a place to make a move for the top spot. On the 72nd hole, fate was on his side as Mito Pereira double bogeyed to launch Zalatoris into the lead. Zalatoris went on to a 3-hole playoff against Justin Thomas. Thomas beat Zalatoris and Will now had his second runner up finish at a major championship. This illustrates that there is a difference between losing and getting beat.
Image via Golf Digest
2022 U.S. Open
The 2022 U.S. Open may not have been the closest Zalatoris has ever come to winning, but it was probably the biggest letdown. Zalatoris was in the pole position for most of the week but gave it up at the last possible moment. Again Zalatoris did not lose the lead, Matthew Fitzpatrick, the eventual champion, won it. He drained a forty-foot putt on fourteen to make a birdie and usurp the lead and never looked back. Zalatoris made a couple of jabs at taking back the lead, but nothing was enough. Fitzpatrick became only the second player ever to win the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open on the same course along with Jack Nicklaus. Meanwhile, Zalatoris continued his search for his first major, let alone his first win.
Image via Golf Digest
What Comes Next:
With how close he has come more than once ,it seems inevitable that Zalatoris will win his first tournament in major. Now, which major he will win is the bigger question. It seems most likely that he will be successful on a links style course. There is not too much trouble off the tee and great iron-play is well rewarded. He is one of the best iron-players on tour, and his swing fits the ideal of St. Andrew's, which will be the home of the 150th Open Championship on July 14-17 2022. The key to his success this year will be on the greens. Links golf is known for its massive greens and this will put Will's putting to the test. Although it has drastically improved, Zalatoris has tended to look shaky on some shorter putts. If he can keep his driver in check, he will most likely sit atop the leaderboard most of the week.
Image via Stay in St. Andrew's
Will Zalatoris has not won yet, but he has not peaked either. With three runner-up finishes in major championships, he has shown he can compete with the best of the best. His keys to success will be to rely on his always steady iron game and keep his putting headed in the right direction. The key will be for him to be solid on the greens and above average in strokes gained tee to green. That is how many shots it takes from the tee shot until the first putt. If Will can succeed in hitting these goals, he will almost surely hoist the Claret Jug later in July.
Image via Essentially Sports
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