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.
The PGA Tour confirmed Zoeller's death, with commissioner Jay Monahan calling Zoeller "a true original."
Monahan's fullstatement read:
"The PGA Tour is saddened by the passing of Fuzzy Zoeller. 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."
Zoeller — whose real first name is Frank — made himself a national name in 1979, when he won the Masters during his first appearance at the event. It was a dramatic victory, as Zoeller went to a three-way sudden death playoff with Ed Sneed and Tom Watson.
Zoeller pulled out the win, becoming only the third person to win the Masters during their first attempt. The other two to pull off that feat, Horton Smith and Gene Sarazen, did so during the first and second Masters, respectively.
While he had some top finishes at the PGA Championship and the Open Championship, he never won those two events. Zoeller, however, did win the U.S. Open in 1984, giving him two career wins in majors.
Fuzzy Zoeller haunted by comment aimed at Tiger Woods
Zoeller's career took a turn in 1997, when he made a racially insensitive comment about Tiger Woods. With Woods, then 21, on his way to a dominant win at the Masters, CNN asked Zoeller for his thoughts on Woods.
Zoeller responded by saying he hopedWoods didn't serve fried chickenat the event next year, per the Associated Press.
"That little boy is driving well and he's putting well. He's doing everything it takes to win. 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?"
Winners of the Masters are allowed to choose the dinner menu at the event the following year.
Zoeller faced backlash for those comments. He was dropped by KMart, one of his sponsors, and pulled out of the Greater Greensboro Classic shortly after, saying he needed toapologize to Woods, per The New York Times.
''I have to make things right with Tiger first before anything else,'' an apologetic Zoeller said in a statement in which he said he had not talked to Woods about his televised remarks.
In 2008, Zoeller said making those comments was "theworst thing I've gone throughin my entire life," per Golf Digest.
"If people wanted me to feel the same hurt I projected on others, I'm here to tell you they got their way," Zoeller wrote. "I've cried many times. I've apologized countless times for words said in jest that just aren't a reflection of who I am. I have hundreds of friends, including people of color, who will attest to that.
"Still, I've come to terms with the fact that this incident will never, ever go away."
Zoeller continued to compete following those comments. He picked up two Champions Tour wins — in 2002 and 2024 — and three other senior wins — in 2002, 2008 and 2009 — during his career.