Will Zalatoris forced to withdraw from Tour Championship and Presidents Cup
- Planet Sport writer
- 23 August 2022
World number nine Will Zalatoris has pulled out from both the Tour Championship and the Presidents Cup after suffering a back injury.
Zalatoris had led the FedEx Cup standings following his first PGA Tour win in the opening play-off event, but injured his back in the third round of the BMW Championship and was forced to withdraw.
The 26-year-old dropped to third in the standings and, under the controversial handicap system introduced in 2019, would have started the Tour Championship on seven under par, three shots behind leader Scottie Scheffler.
If the remaining 29 players complete all 72 holes at East Lake in Atlanta, Zalatoris will finish 30th in the FedEx Cup and earn bonus money of 500,000 US dollars (£422,000).
A statement released on behalf of Zalatoris read: "After Will's withdrawal from the BMW Championship on Saturday, his medical team determined that the source of his back pain is two herniated discs.
"Unfortunately, this means that Will is unable to play this week at the Tour Championship.
"He is also very disappointed that he will not have the opportunity to play in next month's Presidents Cup, where he was hoping to play for captain (Davis) Love and represent the United States.
"Will would like to thank his fans, sponsors, the Tour, and his team for all of their support. He is fully focused on getting healthy and back onto the course as soon as he is able."