Fuzzy Zoeller, Two-Time Majors Champ, Dies at 74
Fuzzy Zoeller, a two-time major champion in pro golf who won the Masters during his first appearance at the event, died Thursday. He was 74.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan lamented the passing of Zoeller, hailing him as a “true original.”
“The PGA Tour is saddened by the passing of Fuzzy Zoeller,” the statement read. “Fuzzy was a true original whose talent and charisma left an indelible mark on the game of gold. Fuzzy combined competitive excellence with a sense of humor that endeared him to fans and fellow players alike. We celebrate his remarkable legacy and extend our deepest condolences to his family.”
Fuzzy, whose given mame was Frank, made an immediate impression on the golf scene on 1979 when he won The Masters in his first ever appearance at the sport’s premier event. The win saw its fair share drama as well, as Zoeller took the prize after a three-way sudden death playoff with Ed Sneed and Tom Watson.
The victory made Zoeller only the third golfer in history to win The Masters in his first attempt.
Zoeller would have to wait 5 years for his next major win, a victory atthe U.S. Open, which would bring his lifetime major wins total to two.
Controversy would find Zoeller in 1997, when he was asked for his thoughts on then-21-year-old Tiger Woods’ historic run at The Masters.
“That little boy is driving well and he’s putting well. He’s doing everything it takes to win,” Zoeller saod of Woods. “So, you know what you guys do when he gets in here? You pat him on the back and say congratulations and enjoy it and tell him not serve fried chicken next year. Got it?”
Masters champions are allowed to choose the dinner menu at the event the following year.
The comment drew intense backlash and resulted in Zoeller losing a sponsor and missing a tournament.
”I have to make things right with Tiger first before anything else,” Zoeller said in a statement at the time.
Zoeller did eventually continue playing. Racking up two Champions Tour wins — in 2002 and 2024 — and three other senior wins — in 2002, 2008 and 2009.
