Who Is Will Zalatoris? Meet the PGA Tour Star’s Wife, Caitlin Sellers

Introduction

When people first saw Will Zalatoris nearly win the Masters Tournament in 2021, many of them had one question: who is this guy? He walked onto the most famous golf course in the world for the very first time and almost walked away with its most coveted green jacket. Since then, he has become one of professional golf’s most talked-about names. He has an effortless swing, a calm on-course demeanor, and a story that feels almost too good to be true.

But beyond the highlights and the leaderboards, Will Zalatoris is also a devoted husband, a son shaped by an athletic family, and a young man who built his career one difficult day at a time. This article takes a warm and honest look at everything that makes Will the person and the golfer he is today.

Will Zalatoris is an American professional golfer born on August 16, 1996, in San Francisco, California. He plays primarily on the PGA Tour and won his first Tour title at the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship. He is married to Caitlin Sellers, whom he met at Wake Forest University.

Early Life and Family Background

Will Zalatoris came into the world on August 16, 1996, in San Francisco, California. His parents, Catherine and Richard Zalatoris, worked in real estate, and he grew up as an only child. From the very beginning, his home was one filled with athletic energy and love for the outdoors.

His mother was once a track and field athlete at the University of Oregon, where she specialized in middle-distance running. That competitive spirit clearly ran in the family, because Will took to sports early and naturally. Both of his parents were recreational golfers, and his mother even continued to play golf while she was pregnant with him, stopping only three weeks before he was born.

Golf found Will before he could even speak in full sentences. He received his first plastic club when he was just 18 months old and learned to play the game at Mariners Point Golf Center in Foster City, California. His parents belonged to California Golf Club, where Zalatoris played alongside other members as a young child.

When Will was nine years old, his family relocated to Dallas, Texas, where he began working hard on his game while competing in top junior tournaments. That move would prove to be a turning point. The competitive junior golf scene in Texas gave him exactly the kind of stage he needed to develop his talent.

Education and Academic Journey

As a teenager, Zalatoris attended Trinity Christian Academy in Addison, Texas, where he led the school’s golf team to TAPPS State Championships in 2011 and 2013, and won individual state titles in 2012 and 2013. He was also a strong student. According to his collegiate records, he was a member of both the National Honor Society and the National Spanish Honor Society, and was named to the Boys Golf All-State Academic Team — proof that he was serious about much more than just his swing.

Will attended Wake Forest University in North Carolina, where he received the Arnold Palmer Scholarship. It was a fitting honor for a young man who had already shown so much promise. At Wake Forest, he studied Psychology — a subject he found genuinely interesting, not just useful for managing the mental pressures of tournament golf.

His collegiate scoring average of 70.44 broke the Wake Forest record of 70.87 previously set by Bill Haas. He was a dominant presence on the college golf circuit, earning numerous individual titles and team honors.

He left school after his junior year to turn professional in early 2018. In a touching full-circle moment, he later returned to Wake Forest during his 2023 injury recovery to complete his Psychology degree — a decision that showed tremendous character and follow-through.

Physical Appearance and Personality

Will Zalatoris stands at 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs approximately 175 pounds. He cuts a lean, athletic figure on the course, and his long, fluid swing has drawn admiration from coaches and fans alike.

Off the course, those who know Will describe him as warm, grounded, and genuinely funny. He has a good sense of humor — the kind that earned him a cameo role in Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore 2, a part he landed because people had long compared him to Gilmore’s caddie. He has spoken in interviews about how much he enjoys sports beyond golf, including baseball, basketball, and football. His favorite sports teams are the Golden State Warriors, the San Francisco Giants, and the Dallas Cowboys. He is someone who can move between the world of elite professional sport and everyday life with refreshing ease.

Parents

Father: Richard Zalatoris

Richard Zalatoris has been a steady, supportive presence throughout his son’s life. Richard worked in real estate alongside his wife Catherine. As a recreational golfer himself, Richard introduced Will to the game early and spent countless hours with him on the course at California Golf Club. It was the kind of quiet, consistent investment that fathers make when they believe in their children — not pushing too hard, but always being present. Richard’s influence on Will’s love of the game is undeniable, even if he tends to stay well out of the spotlight.

Mother: Catherine Zalatoris

Catherine Zalatoris is perhaps the most athletically accomplished member of Will’s immediate family. A graduate of the University of Oregon, Catherine was a member of the school’s track and field team. Her athletic discipline and dedication clearly shaped the way Will approaches his own career. She played golf while pregnant with Will, stopping only three weeks before he was born — a story that tells you everything you need to know about her passion for the game. Catherine has remained a private but deeply loved figure in Will’s life. He has spoken warmly about her in interviews, crediting his parents with giving him the foundation he needed to succeed.

Siblings and Extended Family

Will Zalatoris was an only child, which means the family’s attention and resources were centered entirely on him. That may have played a quiet role in the close bond he shares with his parents. Without siblings, Will leaned on his friendships for the kind of sibling-like camaraderie many young athletes need. One of his most notable childhood golf friendships was with Jordan Spieth. Zalatoris spent much of his teenage years playing junior tournaments in Texas alongside Spieth, including a memorable time when they competed together at just 11 years old, not yet old enough to drive carts.

Career and Professional Life

Will Zalatoris’s path to the top of professional golf was not a straight line. After turning professional in early 2018, he struggled to find his footing. He failed to make it past the first stage of Korn Ferry Tour qualifying school in 2018. The following year, he relied on Monday qualifiers to get into events on the tour. For many young players, that kind of early adversity leads to burnout or doubt. For Will, it led to hard work.

His first professional victory came in July 2020, when he won the TPC Colorado Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour by one stroke. That win qualified him for the U.S. Open at Winged Foot, and he delivered a stunning result — finishing in a tie for sixth place in his first top-10 finish in a major championship.

Then came the 2021 Masters. Playing Augusta National for the very first time, Zalatoris finished solo second, just one stroke behind winner Hideki Matsuyama — making him the best Masters debut in decades. The golf world took notice overnight.

He was voted PGA Tour Rookie of the Year for the 2020–21 season, becoming the first special temporary member to win the award since Charles Howell III in 2001.

His first official PGA Tour victory came in the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship, earning him a paycheck that made it his best-earning year, taking home just over $11.2 million. He has also dealt with serious injury setbacks, including herniated discs in his back that required surgery and sidelined him for extended periods. Through each recovery, he has returned with the same quiet determination that defines him.

According to career earnings data, his total PGA Tour earnings reached approximately $26 million as of March 2025 — a remarkable figure for a player still in his twenties.

Personal Life and Privacy

At the heart of Will Zalatoris’s personal life is his relationship with his wife, Caitlin Sellers. The two met in a psychology class at Wake Forest University and began dating in 2018. They dated long-distance for almost a year and a half before their relationship became more settled.

Will proposed to Caitlin on April 26, 2021, posting engagement photos on Instagram with the caption: “Best day of my life. I love you.”

They exchanged vows in December 2022, with Will later posting a photo from their wedding alongside a caption expressing that he could not wait to spend the rest of his life with his best friend.

Caitlin has been by Will’s side for most of his professional career, including celebrating his first PGA Tour victory at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in 2022. She also supported his decision to return to Wake Forest to complete his Psychology degree during his 2023 injury hiatus and even served as his caddy during practice rounds at the Masters in 2024.

Will has spoken openly about his desire to be a present and engaged father someday. In an interview, he expressed that he does not want to be a “FaceTime dad” and that he is willing to eventually step back from competitive golf to be present for his children as they grow up. For someone competing at the highest level, that kind of perspective says a great deal about who he is beyond the scorecard.

Media Presence and Public Perception

Will Zalatoris has built a warm and loyal fanbase over a relatively short period of time. Golf fans have connected with him because he feels real — not polished or distant, but approachable and human. He shares glimpses of his life on Instagram and has been known to interact genuinely with fans on social media.

His role in Happy Gilmore 2 added a new dimension to his public profile, introducing him to audiences who might never have paid attention to a PGA Tour leaderboard. He seemed to enjoy the experience with good humor and without any pretense.

He currently resides in Dallas, where he plays money games against former NFL star and accomplished golfer Tony Romo — the kind of detail that makes you smile and feel like you know him a little better.

Net Worth and Lifestyle

Will Zalatoris has earned significant money through tournament winnings and sponsorships. He is sponsored by notable brands including Titleist and FootJoy, which reflect his rising star status and marketability as a professional golfer.

His total PGA Tour career earnings were approximately $26 million as of March 2025. Various estimates place his overall net worth in the range of $10 million or above, when endorsement income and investment activity are factored in.

Despite his financial success, Will and Caitlin appear to live grounded, unpretentious lives. They reside in Dallas, Texas, where Will maintains a relatively private lifestyle that balances his career with personal interests and family. He does not seem drawn to the flashier aspects of celebrity athlete culture. Instead, he focuses on his craft, his health, and the people he loves.

Future Prospects

Will Zalatoris still has an enormous amount of golf ahead of him. He is still in his twenties, and his best performances suggest a player capable of winning multiple major championships. His ball-striking has always been elite, and he has shown consistent growth in other parts of his game over the years.

His back surgeries have been a challenge, but he has returned from each one with renewed purpose. His primary goal is to secure a major championship victory, and he has come close to achieving it on multiple occasions. The three runner-up finishes in major championships stand as both a reminder of what is possible and fuel for what drives him forward.

If he can stay healthy, there is every reason to believe that Will Zalatoris will have many more memorable moments on the biggest stages in golf.

Legacy and Influence of Family

The Zalatoris family story is one of quiet encouragement and athletic love. Richard and Catherine gave their son a sport, a set of values, and the freedom to pursue excellence. Catherine’s background as a competitive athlete at the University of Oregon instilled in Will a respect for physical discipline and hard work. Richard’s presence on the fairways during Will’s childhood gave him a shared language with his father that has no doubt deepened their bond.

And now, with Caitlin by his side, Will is building his own family chapter. She brings warmth, stability, and genuine partnership to a life that can be as demanding as it is rewarding. Together, they represent something meaningful in the world of professional sports — a young couple who found each other in a college classroom, grew through the highs and lows of a demanding career, and chose to face the future side by side.

Conclusion

Will Zalatoris is more than the sum of his tournament results. He is a son who grew up loving the game because his parents loved it first. He is a husband who found his partner in a psychology class and built a life around honesty and loyalty. He is a professional who failed, recovered, failed again, and kept going until the wins came. And he is a young man who still talks openly about the day he will choose fatherhood over fairways, because some things matter more than titles.

Whether you first heard his name at Augusta National in 2021 or discovered him through a Netflix film, Will Zalatoris is someone worth knowing. His story is still being written, and the best chapters may still be ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who is Will Zalatoris?

Will Zalatoris is an American professional golfer born on August 16, 1996, in San Francisco, California. He competes on the PGA Tour and is best known for his near-win at the 2021 Masters and his 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship victory.

Who is Will Zalatoris’s wife?

Will Zalatoris is married to Caitlin Sellers. The couple met at Wake Forest University in a psychology class in 2018, got engaged in April 2021, and married in December 2022.

What is Will Zalatoris’s net worth?

Will Zalatoris’s career PGA Tour earnings reached approximately $26 million as of early 2025. His overall net worth, including endorsement deals with brands like Titleist and FootJoy, is estimated to be well above $10 million.

Who are Will Zalatoris’s parents?

His parents are Richard Zalatoris and Catherine Zalatoris. Richard worked in real estate, and Catherine was a track and field athlete at the University of Oregon before becoming a recreational golfer.

Does Will Zalatoris have siblings?

No. Will Zalatoris is an only child.

Where did Will Zalatoris go to college?

He attended Wake Forest University in North Carolina on the Arnold Palmer Scholarship, where he studied Psychology and set the school’s all-time scoring average record for golf.

Has Will Zalatoris ever won a major?

He has not yet won a major championship, but he has three runner-up finishes in major events — including a near-win at the 2021 Masters, his very first appearance at Augusta National.

What injuries has Will Zalatoris dealt with?

Zalatoris has dealt with significant back problems during his career, including two herniated discs that required surgery and forced him to miss extended stretches of play. He has returned from each surgery and continues to compete on the PGA Tour.