“I used to look in the mirror and think, ‘Man, you’re just bones with a backswing.’”
That’s how Will Zalatoris starts.
We’re sitting on the edge of a practice green in Kapalua, sun slung low, wind curling the fringe on his visor. The 28-year-old PGA Tour contender looks nothing like the lean, wiry frame we remember from last August when he walked off the course in Colorado weighing a mere 163 pounds at 6-foot-2. His swing? Still smooth. But now it’s backed by nearly 20 extra pounds of deliberate muscle.
This isn’t your usual weight loss story. This is a weight transformation, a reversal of everything Will thought made him competitive. “For years, I thought thin meant faster. Faster meant better. But that speed came with a price,” he says. That price was pain. In 2023 and 2024, his back sent out distress flares—tightness, discomfort, a near-constant whisper of something about to go wrong.
So, when the offseason came? He didn’t rest. He recalibrated.
“I Could See My Ribs Under My Shirt”: Why Will Zalatoris Decided to Change
If you’re wondering what triggered this shift—this dramatic, intentional bulking—it wasn’t vanity. It was survival.
“I was sick of breaking down. Sick of hearing that I looked like I needed a sandwich.”
He laughs as he says it, but there’s a tiredness underneath. For someone playing a sport that’s supposed to be non-contact, the toll was immense. Weeks on tour meant steady weight loss, not maintenance. “I’d lose five, sometimes ten pounds over a stretch,” he admits. “It was normal for me to shrink by the end of the fall season.”
In truth, he wasn’t underweight—he was undermuscled. And golf? Golf didn’t forgive that anymore. Not with swings exceeding 120 mph. Not with travel. Not with pressure.
The Offseason Diet: 4,500 Calories, 200 Grams of Protein, No Excuses
Zalatoris didn’t just lift weights. He ate like it was his job.
“We called it the See Food Diet,” he jokes. “If I saw it, I ate it. But only clean stuff—just a lot of it.”
His team, including trainers and dietitians, mapped out every macro. The goal? Build lean muscle that would protect his spine, his swing, and his stamina.
A typical day:
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4,500 calories
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200 grams of protein
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Five to six meals, including:
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Chicken breast
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Salmon
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Sweet potatoes
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Rice
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Protein shakes (plural)
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“It wasn’t fun. I wasn’t enjoying steaks with a side of wine. I was force-feeding for the sake of longevity,” he says. The results? By January 2025, he weighed in at 182 pounds—a full 19-pound gain in four months.
From 163 to 182 Pounds: How Will Zalatoris Rebuilt His Frame (and His Game)
Let’s not gloss over this. Putting on 20 pounds of functional mass is an Olympic effort when your baseline is elite-level endurance and precision. Zalatoris’ body was designed for finesse, not force. But now?
He stands straighter. He hits longer. He feels, in his own words, “bulletproof.”
“I don’t feel like I’m tiptoeing around injuries anymore,” he says. “It’s the best I’ve felt. Full stop.”
And the stats back him up. At The Sentry in January 2025, he opened with a blistering 8-under 65. Critics who once said he’d never hold up in back-to-back tournaments? Quiet. At least for now.
“I Wanted to Shut People Up—But Mostly, I Wanted to Stay in the Game”
There’s a darker side to all this. The criticism.
Social media, forums, even analysts—it’s been years of side comments about his “frail” look. It got to him.
“You read that stuff enough, and yeah, it starts to echo in your head,” Will confesses. “But I didn’t do this to prove them wrong. I did it so I could walk off the course without wincing.”
Still, there’s satisfaction in silencing doubters.
One reporter compared his body change to Bryson DeChambeau’s bulk-up phase—but without the controversy. Will grins when I mention that.
“Bryson went for power. I went for protection. This was rehab as much as it was reimagining.”
The New Normal: Will Zalatoris Isn’t Looking Back
When asked if he’ll ever go back to his old weight?
“Hell no,” he says without missing a beat.
“This is me now. Stronger, smarter, hungrier. Literally.”
He’s built a new routine—one that doesn’t fade with the season. His gym sessions are non-negotiable. His fridge is a fortress of lean protein. Even on the road, he’s got a system of prep meals and calorie counters.
The boyish frame is gone. The confidence? Bigger than ever.
Visualizing the Journey: From Frail to Fit
If you’re looking for symbols of his transformation, it’s all there:
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The 19-pound weight gain: from 163 to 182 lbs
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4,500-calorie daily intake
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Protein tracking journals
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Increased clubhead speed
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Stronger posture on every tee box
Imagine: a digital scale flashing +19.0, next to a pair of sweat-soaked gym shorts, a Tupperware full of grilled salmon, and a swing frozen mid-pose—shoulders coiled, hips braced, core fired.
This isn’t just bodywork. This is career insurance.
FAQ: Will Zalatoris Weight Loss & Transformation Questions Answered
1. Did Will Zalatoris lose weight or gain it?
He gained weight—about 19 pounds of muscle, going from 163 lbs to 182 lbs between August 2024 and January 2025.
2. Why did Will Zalatoris change his weight?
Primarily to reduce injury risk and improve endurance. He’d lost weight during long tour stretches and wanted to build a frame that could withstand the grind.
3. What kind of diet did Zalatoris follow?
A high-protein, high-calorie diet: 4,500 calories a day with 200 grams of protein, aimed at building lean muscle and not just bulking for size.
4. How has it affected his performance?
So far, very positively—he opened 2025 with strong rounds and said he feels better than ever, mentally and physically.
5. Will he keep this weight?
Yes. Zalatoris has said this is his new normal and he has no plans to revert to his old weight.
