Fuzzy Zoeller, two-time major winner haunted by racist Tiger Woods joke, dies aged 74 | Golf

Fuzzy Zoeller, the two-time major champion whose genial public persona was overshadowed by a racially insensitive joke about Tiger Woods that defined the latter part of his career, has died at the age of 74.

No cause of death was immediately available. Brian Naugle, tournament director of the Insperity Invitational in Houston and a longtime colleague, said Zoeller’s daughter informed him of the death Thursday.

Zoeller, born Frank Urban Zoeller Jr. in New Albany, Indiana, was one of golf’s most outgoing figures during a career that reached historic heights. He was the first player in more than four decades to win the Masters in his debut, winning the 1979 green jacket after a three-way playoff. Five years later, at the U.S. Open at Winged Foot, he outlasted Greg Norman in an 18-hole playoff Monday after waving a white towel from the fairway, believing Norman had just made a birdie to beat him. It turned out to be a par and Zoeller won by eight strokes the next day.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who has often praised Zoeller, posted a tribute on Truth Social. “Very sad to learn of the passing of the highly respected and beloved professional golfer, Fuzzy Zoeller,” he wrote, citing Zoeller’s major victories and calling him “a truly remarkable person and player.”

But for all of Zoeller’s success and laid-back charm, it was the 1997 Masters that irrevocably altered his position in the sport. As Woods marched to a transformative, record-breaking victory at Augusta National, a relaxed Zoeller – drink in hand – was stopped by a CNN crew near the clubhouse and asked for his opinion. His response, delivered with a smile and a snap of his fingers, immediately sparked outrage.

“This little boy drives well and he plays well,” Zoeller said, before adding that Woods should be congratulated, then joking that officials should “tell him not to [to] serve fried chicken next year…or collard greens or whatever they serve.

Zoeller apologized, but the blowback only worsened as it took Woods two weeks to respond to the remarks during a trip. Zoeller later said he had received death threats for years. Writing in Golf Digest in 2008, he called it “the worst thing I’ve ever experienced in my entire life,” adding, “If people wanted me to feel the same pain I projected onto others, I’m here to tell you they got what they wanted.” »

He said he “cried repeatedly” and offered “countless” apologies for the words which he described as a misguided attempt at humor that did not reflect who he was. “Yet I have accepted the fact that this incident will never go away.”

Zoeller’s track record extends well beyond his two major triumphs. He won eight additional PGA Tour titles, earned two PGA Tour Champions victories, including a Senior PGA Championship, and represented the United States in three Ryder Cups. Known for playing quickly and whistling between shots, he cultivated the image of a player who was both competitive and relishing the walk.

His victory at the 1979 Masters remains one of Augusta’s most enduring debuts. A first-timer, he reached the playoff after Ed Sneed made bogey on the final three holes. On the second extra hole, Zoeller stiffened his approach to six feet and made the winning birdie, launching his putter skyward in celebration. “I never went to heaven,” he once said. “I guess winning the Masters is as close as it gets.”

At Winged Foot five years later, he thought Norman’s 40-foot-plus putt at the 18th was a birdie that beat him and responded with a theatrical white-towel wave from the fairway. After an official told him the score, Zoeller forced a playoff and dominated, although he later joked that he regretted giving away the now-famous towel.

Zoeller first played college golf at Edison Junior College, then the University of Houston, then a powerhouse program. He turned professional in 1973. His wife, Diane, died in 2021. He is survived by three children, including his daughter Gretchen, with whom he often played in the PNC Championship. He received the USGA Bob Jones Sportsmanship Award in 1985.