Masters star tries to keep it going this week

Co-leaders shoot 64s in LPGA tourney

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Will Zalatoris won’t raise his expectations or alter his approach going forward after his stellar Masters’ debut.

Zalatoris, the slender, 24-yearold, finished second on his first trip amid the colorful azaleas and Georgia pines at Augusta National. Now, he’ll stick to the carefully honed plan he had in making a mark as a pro.

“I hate the cliché of ‘Just trust the process,’” Zalatoris said Wednesday. “But it’s gotten me to this point now and there’s no reason all of a sudden to change, ‘Oh, I should go out and win this week.’”

Zalatoris faces another new test at the RBC Heritage, where fairways are narrow and greens are small. He’ll have strong competition at Harbour Town Golf Links, led by world No. 1 Dustin Johnson, the November Masters champion, and reigning PGA Championship winner Collin Morikawa, ranked fourth in the world.

Then again, Zalatoris hasn’t spent time worrying about who else will be in the field.

He finished just a stroke behind Hideki Matsuyama of Japan at the Masters. Matsuyama returned to his home country with the green jacket and doesn’t plan to return to the PGA Tour until at last mid-May.

Zalatoris, who played at Wake Forest, has steadily increased his profile since playing on the Korn Ferry Tour, golf’s Triple-A circuit.

He’s had six top 10 finishes in his last 15 events on the PGA Tour, including a tie for sixth at the U.S. Open last September. His Masters’ performance left him at 27th in the world and has some predicting his first PGA trophy soon.

“I really haven’t put expectations on myself to play well,” Zalatoris said. “I’ve just really done a good job of just doing my job and playing within myself.”

LPGA: In Kapolei, Hawaii, Yuka Saso and Brittany Altomare got hot late to shoot 8-under 64s and share the lead in Wednesday’s first round of the Lotte Championship.

So Yeon Ryu, Ally Ewing and Kelly Korda were a shot back.

Saso, a 19-year-old from the Philippines, birdied five of her last six holes. She won the 2019 Girls Junior PGA Championship and turned pro that November after earning her card on the Japan LPGA Tour, where she is currently third on the money list.

Altomare, who like Saso finished on the front nine, played that side in 29, birdieing the first seven holes in her bogey-free round.