Will Zalatoris Says Huge Crowds That Turn Up for Tiger Woods Are 'Absurd': It Was 'Nuts'

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Tiger Woods is finally back on the golf course, but his star power never left.

Last week, Woods participated in the PGA Championship in Oklahoma, his second professional golf event following a serious car crash in 2021 that left him with severe leg injuries.

While the 46-year-old came up short in the tournament, spectators were in awe of the legendary golfer — including some of his competitors.

"You've heard the vets say, 'Hey, just don't watch him, you play your own game,' and it's like, 'Come on, this is the first time I get to see him really play in person and see the crowds,' " golfer Will Zalatoris said during a press conference at the Charles Schwab Challenge on Wednesday.

"The crowds Thursday-Friday I thought were bigger than Saturday-Sunday, at least in my groups," he added. "It was nuts. I played a practice round in front of him Wednesday and it was 35 people deep on [hole eight]. It was just absurd."

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Zalatoris, 25, told reporters that he even felt a sense of "imposter syndrome" playing against Woods.

"Being able to just appreciate those moments and kind of just be present and enjoy it, that's why to me I almost had to — it almost felt like I am imposter syndrome where I look back on it and go, wait, you were in a playoff for the PGA Championship, but at the same time my job was to just hit the best golf shot I possibly could," he explained.

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"There's a lot of things that — obviously the coverage shows the golf shots, but the stuff in between the golf shots like watching Tiger and seeing the crowds and stuff like that is something that I'll never forget," Zalatoris added.

Zalatoris ultimately lost the tournament to Justin Thomas during a three-hole playoff, while Woods withdrew from the event before the final round after an injury.

Yet, Woods' participation at the PGA Championship, and the 2022 Masters, shows how far he has come following the accident last year.

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In the crash, he suffered fractures to the upper and lower portions of his tibia and fibula bones in his right leg.

A source told PEOPLE in March that Woods still has other career goals he would like to cross off his bucket list, including becoming the oldest person to ever win the Masters.