PGA Tour star Will Zalatoris forced out of Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches

Will Zalatoris has pulled out of the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches just hours before the opening round at PGA National.

The PGA Tour confirmed the late withdrawal on Thursday afternoon.

According to the PGA Tour's Jimmy Reinman, Zalatoris' WD is due to a left ankle injury and not down to his troublesome back. 

Ben Silverman has taken Zalatoris’ place in the field and is scheduled to tee off at 12:13 p.m. ET alongside Brooks Koepka and Daniel Berger.

Zalatoris, once ranked seventh in the world and now 252nd, has endured a challenging run with injuries. 

The one-time PGA Tour winner (2022 FedEx St Jude Championship) underwent disc replacement surgery last May after withdrawing from the PGA Championship, sidelining him for approximately eight months. 

That procedure followed a series of setbacks, including a back injury that forced him to withdraw from the 2022 BMW Championship and miss the remainder of that season.

His struggles continued in 2023. 

After limited appearances early in the year, Zalatoris withdrew from The Masters and had a microdiscectomy in April. 

The American did not return to competition until December’s Hero World Challenge on the DP World Tour. 

Although he managed a full campaign in 2024, he was only able to play 11 times on the PGA Tour in 2025 as he played through the pain barrier. 

He only recorded one top-20 finish last season, and consequently slipped significantly in the world rankings.

Encouragingly, Zalatoris had recently spoken positively about his recovery. 

Earlier this season, he described the latest rehabilitation process as far smoother than previous efforts. 

After eight weeks of minimal movement, he gradually returned to putting, chipping and full practice by the 16-week mark. 

Zalatoris made his return to action at the Nedbank Golf Challenge on the DP World Tour at Sun City, South Africa, in December 2025. He played well, finishing 15th. 

During last month’s American Express, Zalatoris said he was finally free from the sciatica pain that had plagued him for years and added that he was pushing himself harder in the gym than ever before.

Competing this season under a major medical extension, Zalatoris has made two starts. He tied for 18th in Palm Springs before missing the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open.

Zalatoris' current priority ranking has prevented him from gaining entry into several recent Signature Events, including the WM Phoenix Open, AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Genesis Invitational.