WATCH: Will Zalatoris practices his golf shots as he focuses on his injury comeback

In August 2023, Will Zalatoris told the PGA Tour News Service that he was scheduled to return in October. For reasons unknown, this did not happen. However, Zalatoris has not abandoned his plans for a return this year.

On Thursday, November 16, a video was posted on X (formerly Twitter) by the handle @InjuryReportPGA in which Will Zalatoris can be seen executing an iron shot on a practice range. Zalatoris' movements appear fluid, with good swing width, speed, and impact power.

Will Zalatoris has been off the courses since April due to a back injury. He was qualified to play at The Masters, but instead of going to Augusta National Golf Club, he had to undergo surgery to resolve his pain.

Zalatoris was diagnosed with two split discs. Doctors performed a microdiscectomy on April 8 (while in Augusta the moving day was on track). The surgery went well and he was predicted to make a satisfactory recovery, although he was set to miss the rest of the season.

Varied reports over the months have chronicled Will Zalatoris' successful recovery. The video released on Thursday is further evidence of this.

Will Zalatoris has been included in the field released by Tiger Woods to play at the Hero World Challenge in December. If all goes well, that will be the event that marks Zalatoris' return to competitive activity.

What does the 2024 season look like for Will Zalatoris?

The upcoming season will be his sixth as a professional for Will Zalatoris. His victory at the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship guarantees him full membership on the PGA Tour through the end of 2024.

This will allow Zalatoris to focus on a gradual return to competitive activity until he reaches optimal playing form.

The first tournament of the 2024 season will be the Sentry Tournament of Champions, for which Zalatoris has not qualified. The second will be the Sony Open in Hawaii, for which he is eligible to be invited, as he won a tournament in the last two seasons. Zalatoris will likely be looking for his first official opening of the season at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu.

Despite not having played much in 2023, Zalatoris is reasonably well-placed in the world rankings (32nd). If he can maintain or even improve that position, he could be eligible to play in The Masters.

To do that, he needs to play as many of the 15 events as he can leading up to the first Major of the season. He also needs some good finishes in them.

This would place him well in the FedEx Cup rankings, which in turn would make him eligible for Signature Events and even some of the other Majors. It remains to be seen how his comeback will ultimately go.