Two former members of the Wake Forest Men’s Golf team took part in the 88th Masters Tournament in Augusta, Ga. this past weekend.
Will Zalatoris and Cameron Young were a part of an 89-person field, where the world’s best golfers competed for the ultimate prize: the Masters green jacket.
This was the fourth Masters appearance for Zalatoris, who came closest to his first green jacket in 2021, where he finished second by a single stroke. Young competed in his third Masters, where he looked to finally win his first major championship, after finishing top 10 in four of his previous seven major appearances. Ultimately, the Demon Deacon alumni put together very respectable performances, finishing even par and tied for ninth place.
Wake Forest has a rich history at the Masters. The most famous Wake Forest Golf alumni Arnold Palmer has four green jackets, putting him at No. 3 on the all time Masters list behind only Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus. Palmer was also a member of Augusta National Golf Club, one of the most exclusive golf clubs in the country. Joe Patton, Webb Simpson, Curtis Strange and Jay Haas have all come close to capturing a win at the Masters.
This year, the two Men’s Golf alumni played great golf at Augusta National. The first round was particularly good for the pair of Demon Deacons, where both shot 70 (-2) and put themselves in good position heading into Friday.
Young continued his good play into Friday, shooting a 73 (+1) and guaranteeing that he made the cut. One under after Friday was also just five shots back of the lead, so Young was very much in contention to win approaching the third round. Unfortunately, Zalatoris did not have a good second round, and ended up shooting 77 (+5), which effectively took him out of the running. More fortunately, three over was good enough to make the cut and continue playing into the weekend.
Saturday and Sunday were more of the same for Young, where he shot an even par 72 and then 73 (+1), respectively. His consistent play solidified a top ten finish and secured $540,000 in prize money. Zalatoris was a bit more erratic in his scoring, shooting an even 72 in round three and a fantastic 69 (-3) in the final round. His great play on Sunday helped him sneak into the top ten and tie Young at even par overall. This is yet another strong showing in a major championship from both Zalatoris and Young.
“This tournament is always special, but one day I hope to get that green jacket,” Zalatoris said on his Instagram. “Let’s win one, we are close!”
The next major for the Demon Deacon pairing will be the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Course in Louisville, Ky. beginning May 16.
