Frank “Fuzzy” Zoeller, winner of the Masters and US Open, has died at the age of 74, according to multiple reports. The cause of death was not immediately available.
Zoeller, who hails from Indiana and played collegiately at the University of Houston, is the last player to win the Masters in his debut at the event. He won his green jacket in a three-hole playoff against Tom Watson and Ed Sneed in 1979.
“I’ve never been to heaven, and thinking about my life, I probably won’t get the chance to go,” Zoeller famously said. “I think winning the Masters is as close as I’m going to get.”
Zoeller went on to win 10 PGA Tour titles, including another major triumph at the 1984 US Open at Winged Foot. He won the championship in an 18-hole playoff against Greg Norman, a day after he infamously waved a white towel in surrender on the 18th hole, thinking he had lost the tournament.
“Fuzzy was one of a kind,” USGA CEO Mike Whan said in a statement. “We are grateful for all he gave to golf. I hope we all remember his unmistakable joy.”
Zoeller continued his stellar play on the Champions Tour, winning twice on the senior circuit, including a title at the 2002 Senior PGA Championship, in which he prevailed over Hale Irwin and Bobby Wadkins by a single stroke.
Despite his success on the course, Zoeller’s reputation off the course suffered after he arrived racially insensitive remarks about Tiger Woods at the 1997 Masters. Speaking shortly after Woods’ record-breaking victory at Augusta National, Zoeller said, “You know what you do when he comes in here? You give him a hug on the back and say congratulations and enjoy and tell him not to serve fried chicken next year.”
Zoeller later apologized for the gaffe. He would continue to receive death threats regarding his comments and in 2008 he wrote that the incident was “the worst thing I’ve ever been through in my entire life.”
“If people wanted me to feel the same hurt that I foresee in others, I’m here to tell you that they did,” Zoeller wrote. “I’ve cried many times. I’ve apologized countless times for saying things in jest that just don’t reflect who I am. I have hundreds of friends, including people of color, who will attest to that … However, I’ve come to terms with the fact that this incident will never go away.”
Zoeller’s wife, Diane, died in 2021. He is survived by his four children, Sunny, Heidi, Gretchen and Miles, as well as numerous grandchildren.
