‘He’s our inspiration in our game’: Will Zalatoris reflects on Arnold Palmer’s impact as he gets ready for Bay Hill

Will Zalatoris is aware of the special connection he has to Arnold Palmer, even though he never had the pleasure of meeting him. The reigning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year is a graduate of Wake Forest, the school Palmer attended and supported throughout his entire career.

Zalatoris received the Arnold Palmer Scholarship from Wake Forest, an award started by the King in 1994 to reward an outstanding golfer with an impressive academic record.

“I got a letter from him congratulating me on winning the U.S. Junior and obviously accepting the scholarship. I’ve got that framed at my parents’ house. It was actually pretty cool,” Zalatoris said about receiving the scholarship. “Amy Saunders actually wrote me a letter as well after the Masters last year. It was pretty cool to see that tradition passed down in the family.

“Obviously being Rookie of the Year was a huge honor, but being on his scholarship as well at Wake Forest — I always tell people, when you get offered the Arnold Palmer scholarship to go play golf, I think your decision on schools is kind of made for you.”

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The No. 30 ranked player in the world is still looking for his first win on the PGA Tour, although he came close at the Farmers Insurance Open back in January, eventually falling to Luke List in a playoff. He’s made just one start since thanks to a battle with COVID-19.

Despite his lack of recent Tour starts, he feels as though his game is in a good spot. The first major of the year is already on his mind, too.

“It’s feeling pretty good. I would have loved to come back and play after Torrey, but unfortunately, COVID hit me,” Zalatoris said at his press conference Wednesday at Bay Hill Club and Lodge. “I’ve been feeling really good. Game’s in a pretty good spot. Really the prep for the Masters starts now.

“Getting ready in terms of hitting some more draws off the tee. I’ve been doing a lot of practice on some big sloping putts. It’s nice to be playing a difficult golf course — really the next three events I’m going to play leading up to Augusta are some pretty tough golf courses.

“Obviously, the Match Play is pretty hypercompetitive, but when you have Sawgrass next week and obviously here, you can’t really fake your way around this golf course.”

Zalatoris seems to thrive when conditions get tough. He, of course, was the runner-up at last year’s Masters, posted a top-10 finish at Bay Hill in 2021, cashed in a top-10 at Winged Foot in 2020, and another top-10 at Kiawah Island.

He’s excited to plot his way around Palmer’s Orlando gem once again this week.

“The rough is as lush as it’s been. The greens tend to brown out by Sunday. The part that’s funny about this place is it doesn’t look that intimidating in terms of the shots that you hit, but one little mistake or one mis-hit, and you’re fighting your way to save par,” Zalatoris said about Bay Hill.

“That’s something that really — it’s one of the fairest tests that we play out on Tour, in my opinion, just because great shots are always rewarded, but mediocre shots, you’re going to have to scramble.”

Zalatoris currently ranks first in Strokes Gained: Approach and Strokes Gained: Tee to Green on the PGA Tour and will need that to continue if he wants a chance to win.

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan presents the Rookie of the Year Award to Will Zalatoris of the United States prior to the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard at Arnold Palmer Bay Hill Golf Course on March 02, 2022, in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

As a recipient of the Arnold Palmer Scholarship, of the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year trophy (which features a depiction of Palmer), and a Wake Forest alum, slipping on the red cardigan Sunday evening would be a dream come true.