WILMINGTON, Del. – Will Zalatoris is likely to surrender the top seed in the FedExCup playoffs after having to withdraw Saturday at the BMW Championship because of a back injury.
Zalatoris tweaked his back while hitting his tee shot on the third hole at Wilmington Country Club. He played the next two holes in considerable discomfort and received on-site attention from a physiotherapist. With the pain persisting, he opted not to continue despite being just four shots off the lead in the third round.
Full-field scores from BMW Championship
“He felt that it was best to withdraw from the BMW Championship so he can work with his trainer the next few days to get the inflammation to calm down,” Zalatoris’ agent, Allen Hobbs, said in a statement.
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Hobbs said that Zalatoris is expected to play next week at the Tour Championship.
It’s unfortunate timing for Zalatoris, who was coming off a dramatic victory last week at the FedEx St. Jude Championship for his first PGA Tour title. That victory vaulted him to the top of the playoff standings, supplanting Scottie Scheffler.
After his withdrawal, Zalatoris will receive zero FedExCup points and unofficial last-place money ($30,300). He could slide as low as third in the standings, meaning he’d begin the season finale three shots behind. This is his first playoff appearance, so he doesn’t have any prior experience at East Lake.