"It's ridiculous” - Will Zalatoris gives hot take on Tiger Woods’ comeback at the 2023 Hero World Challenge

Tiger Woods and Will Zalatoris, who both withdrew from the Masters earlier this year due to injuries, returned to competitive golf this week. The duo teed off on Thursday at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, for the first time in over seven months. While Zalatoris’ comeback was big, the golfer didn’t shy away from applauding Woods over his return.

According to Zalatoris, the 15-time major champion’s impressive comeback from injury is “ridiculous.” He reiterated that there’s “no other way to put” the ace golfer’s ability to come through despite battling back-to-back injuries. The 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship stated that Woods’ recovery has been “mind-blowing” and every player on the event field appreciated it.

Commenting on Tiger Woods’ comeback at the Hero World Challenge, Will Zalatoris said:

"It's ridiculous. There's no other way to put it. What he's doing and what he's gone through with his body, especially to come back and win another major after everything that he had gone through. It's mind blowing to me in so many aspects, and we all appreciated it."

The 27-year-old golfer struggled on Day 1 of the PGA Tour-sanctioned event. He finished last on the 20-man leaderboard. Despite finishing only two spots below Woods, the golfer looks to be in awe of the latter.

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Will Zalatoris on his injury woes

Much like Woods, Zalatoris has been on the sidelines for a while now. The golfer hadn’t played since the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in March. Following the event, the golfer underwent a microdiscectomy on his back that forced him to stay out for the rest of the season.

Opening up on his injury woes and return, Will Zalatoris said:

"It's been an interesting seven months. You know, kind of a golfer's worst nightmare is feeling your back giving out on the driving range at Augusta 30 minutes before your tee time. But no, it's been a patience game. It's been a grind."

It is pertinent to note that Zalatoris' injury problems have made headlines for a while now. The American has been struggling with back problems since the 2021 Open Championship. The 27-year-old even suffered two herniated discs in 2022, right after his FedEx St. Jude Championship win. He missed the FedEx Cup playoffs and the Presidents Cup.

Owing to his injury, Will Zalatoris has dropped down multiple places on the Official World Golf Rankings. He currently sits at No. 33 in the rankings. While the former World No.7’s drop-off was big, Tiger Woods’ slip was even bigger.

The former world No.1 slipped hundreds of spots on the rankings table, ever since his car crash. He currently sits 1328th on the rankings, behind several rookies. It’ll be interesting to see how the two golfers take on the competition this week in the Bahamas.