THE AMERICAN EXPRESS

January 25, 2026

Will Zalatoris

PGA WEST Pete Dye Stadium Course

Quick Quotes

Q. Good playing. You made the one DP World start awhile back, but PGA TOUR it's been since last May. Assess how the week went for you.

WILL ZALATORIS: Yeah, really good, besides a couple holes on the Nicklaus Course. I putted really well, been working with Blair Phillips at home. It's been a massive change. Taking ownership on the putting green, and I think this year you're going to see a massive difference in my putting this year in general. Yeah, it's nice to, any 64 on Sunday feels pretty good, especially after the last three years I've been through.

Q. Is the taking ownership, is that changing the way you're setting up to it or a more mental thing?

WILL ZALATORIS: It's actually more, it's a, there was a little bit of mechanics, and then a little bit of what he calls, Get a Ph.D. in how you putt. So I've always seen straight lines, putt with a line on my ball, putt to a spot. And any time that I got off I was just losing my lines. He gave me a couple triggers that were super helpful and obviously they have been working so far. The mission from here is, this is like 2021 for me, okay, being on a medical the mission is to go to the next week. I don't know when I'll be playing next after next week. I don't know if we'll get into Phoenix. I just got to stay ready. Game feels good, so whoever calls my name next I'll be there.

Q. You only have a couple rounds of data that we can look at to assess the week, but in those two rounds it was above average in everything, maybe not spectacular anywhere. Is that kind of how it felt to you playing?

WILL ZALATORIS: Yeah, you know, the Nicklaus, I played terrible on that, in all honesty. I had that course record until Blades went unconscious. So I've always loved that course. Shooting 70 on that course for me is inexcusable. So really over here on the Stadium I thought I played really well yesterday, just didn't get anything out of it. Obviously it's nice to birdie the last two to shoot 64 today.

Q. Top 20 in the first start back. Does that give you a little bit of a foundation, just a breath that now you can kind of move forward with the rest of the year?

WILL ZALATORIS: No. You can't get comfortable out here. You got earn it every single week. Just because I finished top 20 doesn't mean that I've got a start in a couple weeks, so I got keep earning it.

Q. Encouraging signs for you though.

WILL ZALATORIS: Definitely. I knew there was going to be some really good things coming after shaking off the rust. I even said it to Joel, my caddie, after Friday, I was 5-over through the first 27, and then played my last 45 in 12-under. So it's there. I just got to keep playing. Like I said, whenever my name gets called next I'll be there.