Fuzzy Zoller, a two-time major champion whose brilliant public persona was overshadowed by a racially insensitive joke about Tiger Woods who defined the latter part of his career, died at the age of 74.
The cause of death could not be immediately determined. Brian Naugle, tournament director of the Insperity Invitational in Houston and a longtime colleague, said Zeller's daughter notified him of the death on Thursday.
Zoeller, born Frank Urban Zoeller Jr. in New Albany, Indiana, was one of golf's most gregarious personalities 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-man playoff. Five years later at the U.S. Open at Winged Foot, he beat Greg Norman in an 18-hole playoff on Monday after famously waving a white towel from the fairway, believing Norman had just birdied to beat him. It turned out to be a tie, and Zeller won by eight shots the next day.
US President Donald Trump, who often praised Zeller, wrote a tribute on “Social Truth”. “Very sad to hear that highly respected and beloved professional golfer Fuzzy Zoeller has passed away,” he wrote, citing Zoeller's major wins and calling him “a truly outstanding man and player.”
But for all of Zeller's success and easy charm, it was the 1997 Masters that irrevocably changed his position in the sport. When Woods moved towards transformative, record-breaking victory At Augusta National, a relaxed Zeller, drink in hand, was stopped by a CNN camera crew outside the clubhouse and asked what he thought. His answer, delivered with a smile and a snap of his fingers, immediately caused outrage.
“This little boy drives well and performs well,” Zeller said, before adding that Woods should be congratulated and then joked that officials should “tell him not to [to] next year, serve fried chicken…or collard greens, or whatever the hell they serve.”
Zeller apologized, but the backlash only intensified as Woods took two weeks to respond to the remarks while traveling. Zeller later said that he had received death threats for years. IN Golf In Digest magazine in 2008, he called it “the worst thing I've been through 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 it.”
He said he cried “many times” and issued “countless” apologies for the words, which he called a misguided attempt at humor that did not reflect who he was. “However, I have come to terms with the fact that this incident will never, ever go away.”
Zeller's playing record extends far beyond his two major triumphs. He won eight more PGA tour titles, earned two PGA Tour Champions victories, including the PGA Senior Championship, and represented the United States in three Ryder Cups. Known for his fast play and whistling between shots, he cultivated an image of a player who both competed hard and enjoyed the walk.
His victory at the 1979 Masters remains one of Augusta's most impressive debuts. Arriving as a new entrant, he advanced to a playoff after Ed Snead birdied the final three holes. On the second extra hole, Zeller extended his approach to six feet and rolled for the winning birdie, throwing his putter into the sky in celebration. “I’ve never been to heaven,” he once said. “I think winning the Masters is the closest I can get.”
Five years later at Winged Foot, he believed Norman hit a 40-plus-foot par putt that beat him on the 18th and responded with a theatrical white towel swing from the fairway. After the referee told him the score, Zeller forced a playoff and dominated, although he later joked that he regretted giving up the now famous towel.
Zeller played college golf first at Edison College and then at 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 daughter Gretchen, with whom he often played in the PNC Championship. In 1985, he was awarded the USGA Bob Jones Award for Sportsmanship.
