Will Zalatoris has provided amateur golfers with the blueprint for success when it comes down to becoming a single-digit handicapper as quickly as possible.
For most amateur golfers, reaching a single-digit handicap is nothing more than a pipe dream, but now it can become reality, with the help of PGA Tour player Zalatoris.
Incredibly, Zalatoris has a plus 6.8 handicap when playing at his home course with his friends.
The 29-year-old is a huge talent, but he has struggled badly with injuries recently, playing just 11 events during the 2025 season.
Zalatoris should have won more than he has throughout his career so far, with his only victory coming at the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship.
However, his lack of wins doesn’t mean that he’s not in a great position to offer advice to amateur golfers.
Will Zalatoris’ three secrets amateurs must use to become single-digit handicaps
The beauty of the three tips shared here by Zalatoris is that every single one of them should be incredibly simple to implement.
When speaking to Morning Blitz, the PGA Tour star broke down just how simple it is for golfers to get down to an eight-handicap from a 12.
He said: “I would say get on the green as fast as possible, and what I mean by that is literally as a 12 handicap, if you hit as many greens as you possibly can. I mean even taking wedges from 100 yards and literally aiming 30 feet away from it.
“You will laugh at the less number of doubles you have.
“How do you get from a 12 to an eight? Make less doubles. How do you get from an eight to a five, that’s when you need to get a little bit better with your short game, or less three putts.
“How do you get from a five to a zero. Now all of a sudden, going from a 10 to a five versus going from a five to a zero is lightyears different.
“You now have multiple shots around the greens and hit it 280, that’s the recipe.
“My three big things I always tell people is get onto the green as fast as you can, take more club and eliminate doubles.
“Tiger actually had this thing that he did where it was no three putts, no doubles or bogeys on par fives, no missed up and downs and no penalty shots.
“If he did one over an entire tournament, he won like 90 percent of the time. I think when I won I had like eight! It’s hard.
“Essentially what I’m saying is, here’s your 12 handicap version of it, here’s Tiger’s level of it which is insane.
“That just gives your the perspective that good golf is actually not something super-sexy. If you want to go shoot 65, go birdie all the par-fives, maybe hit one or two wedges close and you make one 30-footer. That’s seven birdies right there.“
Interesting statistical differences between 10 and 5 handicap golfers
There is definitely a big difference between 10 and five handicap golfers when it comes to the scores they shoot.
However, statistically there isn’t much of a gap at all.
| Stats | 10-handicap averages | 5-handicap averages |
| Avg. Par 3 score | 3.6 | 3.42 |
| Avg. Par 4 score | 4.67 | 4.53 |
| Avg. Par 5 score | 5.52 | 5.36 |
| Fairways hit % | 50% | 51% |
| Greens in regulation % | 35% | 41% |
| Up and down % | 40% | 47% |
| Three-putt % | 8% | 6% |
| Make % from 0-6 feet | 89% | 89% |
Stats provided via Shot Scope.
Those figures go to show that getting down to a single figure handicap really should be quite simple.
As Zalatoris said, keeping the big numbers off your card is crucial, and in order to do that, you need to hit one or two more greens per round or improve your short game.
Forget the hero shots, or the idea of playing ‘super-sexy’ golf, as Zalatoris puts it. Start aiming for the middle of the greens and quite simply try to play boring golf.
You might just get down to a single-digit handicap in no time!
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
