Will Zalatoris Withdraws from the Cognizant Classic Before the First Round

Will Zalatoris hasn’t logged many starts this season, and that won’t change this week after he withdrew from the Cognizant Classic prior to his first-round tee time.

The past few years have been difficult for Zalatoris. He injured his back during the 2022 BMW Championship, then underwent a microdiscectomy in 2023 after withdrawing from the Masters. In May 2025, he had another procedure to address two herniated discs.

However, according to the PGA TOUR's Jimmy Reinman, this WD isn't related to his back. Instead, it's his left ankle.

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In his first TOUR start since last year’s PGA Championship, Zalatoris tied for 18th at The American Express in January. A week later, he missed the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open and has not played since.

This week was set to mark his first appearance at PGA National.