The ‘really hard’ putting drill Will Zalatoris has been doing which has transformed his game

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Will Zalatoris started his 2025 PGA Tour season impressively after he carded an eight-under 65 on day one of The Sentry.

A five-under 31 on the front set the tone for the American, who picked up three more shots on the back to sit one shot adrift of leader Tom Hoge.

Elsewhere, world number two Xander Schauffele is one under, and Justin Thomas, who has been hyped up over the off-season, is two under.

Collin Morikawa, one of the pre-tournament favourites, is well-placed at seven under after carding a bogey-free 66.

Will Zalatoris shines with the putter at The Sentry

Zalatoris has been working on his speed during the off-season, yet it was his putting that impressed in the opening round at the Plantation Course.

The 28-year-old’s improvement is no coincidence. After Thursday’s play, Zalatoris revealed that he has been practicing a “really hard” putting drill.

“Yeah, I think last year if you really kind of think about it, I really wasn’t playing much golf until November coming off of the injury, and switched putters to the broomstick, and was still trying to figure out how to learn it,” Zalatoris explained

“I had some good weeks, had some bad weeks, but spent a lot of time — I mean, it’s cleaned up everything inside of 10 feet, which obviously was usually my bugaboo, but I felt like I needed to make more 10 to 25 footers. So we made some really hard drills, Josh Gregory and I, and I wasn’t leaving each day until I completed ’em, especially from the 10 to 25-foot range.”

The 2022 US Open runner-up continued: “So, 30 putts, five 10-footers, five 12-footers, five 15, five 17, five 20, and I got to make nine out of 30 and do it until you complete it. So it’s basically, like the drills that we do, you look at the strokes gained average from those distances and then maybe try to raise it, maybe try to get to strokes gained plus 1, which make it that much harder, especially if you’re doing it on a practice green that I know. Obviously, it paid off today. That was really probably the best I’ve putted from 10 to 25 feet, maybe ever. It’s a nice way to start the year.”

Will Zalatoris’ putting stats from The Sentry

The stats from The Sentry also support Zalatoris’ improvement on the greens. On day one, the American gained 3.8 strokes with the flat stick and made 133 feet of putts, the second-best in the field.

What’s more, Zalatoris made 33% of his putts outside ten feet and 93% of his putts inside the same number. Throughout a full season, Zalatoris has never ranked higher than 103 for strokes gained putting, a metric he will be desperate to improve in 2025.

Given his ball-striking pedigree and consistency from tee to green, an improvement in Zalatoris’ putting could quickly turn him into a regular contender on the PGA Tour.

However, before making sweeping predictions about his 2025 prospects, his putting must continue to impress at the Plantation Course.