Zalatoris, calm under pressure, will win a major
Greg Coplin awoke Monday morning to two text messages from freshly minted U.S. Open runner-up Will Zalatoris. The first was a nod to Zalatoris’ local roots: a photo of him at age 7 with his dad, taken long ago (probably by Coplin) at Mariners Point in Foster City.
And the second text: “We’ll get one.”
Yes, he will. And probably more than one.
Zalatoris nearly etched his name in Bay Area golf lore Sunday outside Boston. He came tantalizingly, agonizingly, frustratingly close to becoming the first San Francisco-born player in 46 years to win a major championship, since Johnny Miller’s victory at the 1976 British Open.
This counts as an impressive, curious habit for Zalatoris. He finished second to Hideki Matsuyama at last year’s Masters. He finished second to Justin Thomas at last month’s PGA Championship. He tied for second behind Matt Fitzpatrick on Sunday.
That’s three runner-up finishes in majors in 14 months, a tribute to Zalatoris’ ability to thrive on the game’s biggest stages — and also a test of his patience and maturity.
Spoiler alert: He ultimately will pass this test.
Zalatoris is 25 years old, in just his second full season on the PGA Tour, but he carries himself like he’s 35 or 45. He’s an old soul in many ways, much like Jordan Spieth and topranked Scottie Scheffler, his frequent companions in junior golf.
Zalatoris was born in San Francisco and lived in Belmont until age 9, when his family moved to Dallas (where he connected with Spieth and Scheffler). He became consumed by the game in the Bay Area, taking lessons from Coplin at Mariners Point and playing abbreviated rounds with his parents, Rick and Cathie, at California Golf Club in South San Francisco.
Even back then, Coplin could spot the seeds of Zalatoris’ bright future: his focus, his determination, his composure. Coplin, now the director of instruction at Crystal Springs in San Mateo, saw it Sunday when Zalatoris’ tee shot drifted into the thick rough alongside No. 15 at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass.
He walked up to the ball, saw it buried in the gnarly grass, briefly grimaced and turned to his caddie to discuss his options. No anger. No whining.
“That brought me back to when he was a kid — he was the most mature 7-year old in the world,” Coplin said Monday. “He was polite and articulate. We’d have to put him with the 9- or 10-year-olds so he could have a game.
“He was ahead of his time. The other 7-year-olds wanted to maybe take some swings and have candy. Will just wanted to play golf.”
Fast forward to 2022 and Zalatoris emits the same singleminded sense of purpose, especially with the stakes at their highest.
Major championships test golfers in more ways and different ways than regular tournaments. The rough is thicker and the greens are slicker. Small mistakes bring severe punishment. Great shots don’t always translate to birdies.
Some players prosper amid tamer conditions, when birdies are plentiful. And other players, like Zalatoris, embrace the challenge of majors.
He has no PGA Tour victories but six top-eight finishes at majors (including those three runner-up showings). This starts with Zalatoris’ power off the tee and elite ball-striking, but it also traces to his maturity, a huge asset in the biggest events.
Consider his graceful reaction
to Sunday’s crushing disappointment. He told Fitzpatrick’s parents (according to Golf Digest), “If I had to lose to anyone, I’m glad it was your son.” Later, he said, “This one hurts, but it’s motivating. I know I’m going to get one sooner or later.”
When Zalatoris does get his first major title, it will renew the Bay Area’s rich golf legacy. Even if he moved away at a young age, his rise to prominence offers a connection to the region’s glorious past — Zalatoris often tells the story of 1964 U.S. Open champion Ken Venturi fixing young Will’s grip on the range at Cal Club, when he was about 6 years old.
Venturi, born and raised in San Francisco, was part of that past. Bay Area golfers won six majors in 17 years, from Bob Rosburg (1959 PGA), Venturi and Tony Lema (’64 British Open) to George Archer (’69 Masters) and Miller (’73 U.S. Open and ’76 British).
Then the well ran dry, at least on the biggest stages. Tom Watson and Tiger Woods, both Stanford alums, passed through the Bay Area on their way to major glory, as did Cal’s Collin Morikawa.
Bay Area women’s players won their share, most notably Juli Inkster seven times (she was born in Santa Cruz and is a
longtime Los Altos resident). Nathaniel Crosby took the 1981 U.S. Amateur, a major by some measures. Michael Allen won the 2009 Senior PGA.
Even so, Zalatoris represents the most tantalizing link to the region’s golden era. He nearly pocketed his first major win at the PGA, when he fell to Thomas in a playoff. Then, on Sunday, Zalatoris waged a riveting duel with Fitzpatrick and Scheffler.
All the while, Coplin — Zalatoris’ first instructor and still a good friend — fidgeted on his couch in Belmont. He folded laundry at one point, fearing his attentiveness was bad luck. Then he rejoined his own son to watch Zalatoris come down the stretch, making birdie on No. 16 to trim his deficit to one shot.
But he missed birdie putts on the final two holes; his attempt on No. 18, which would have forced a playoff with Fitzpatrick, barely slid past the edge. Zalatoris crouched in disappointment. His long-ago coach was similarly emotional.
“I so want that kid to win,” Coplin said. “I take it too personally, but he deserves to win.”
He will, eventually.