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Posted on 11/28/2025 8:14:17 AM PST by WhiteHatBobby0701
There haven’t been many players in professional golf who became known by simply one name. Fuzzy Zoeller was one of those players. The 10-time PGA TOUR winner with the recognizable nickname and victories at the Masters Tournament and the U.S. Open on his impressive resume, died Nov. 27. He was 74.
“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 golf,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “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.”
Frank Urban Zoeller was born Nov. 11, 1951, in New Albany, Indiana. He grew up in a home next to Valley View Country Club. As a child, Zoeller picked up his nickname as a play on his initials. He started playing golf at age 3 and played his first competitive tournament two years later. Zoeller maintained a close relationship with Indiana throughout his life.
A solid contributor on the New Albany High School basketball team, Zoeller knew early on that golf would be what he would pursue in college after succeeding as a junior player in Hoosier State events, including a runner-up finish at the 1970 Indiana State High School Championship. As a senior, he lost the individual competition by three strokes to North Central’s Gary Gant, Zoeller’s New Albany team finishing fifth.
He always maintained he only played basketball to keep in shape for golf since he couldn’t play part of the year due to the harsh Indiana winters. Unfortunately, during a game in his senior year, a player undercut Zoeller, and because of that injury, Zoeller faced back problems off and on throughout the remainder of his career.
Following high school, Zoeller attended Edison Community College in Fort Myers, Florida, for two years before transferring to the University of Houston to play for the powerhouse Cougar program, a team that featured future PGA TOUR players Bill Rogers, Bruce Lietzke and Keith Fergus. Zoeller spent the 1972-73 school year at Houston. He returned home for the summer and won the Indiana State Amateur at Otter Creek Golf Course in Columbus. Following his victory, he announced he was turning pro.
The following year, in two separate parts of California — the Canyon Country Club in Palm Springs and at Silverado Country Club in Napa — Zoeller earned his PGA TOUR card by capturing medalist honors at the 1974 Qualifying Tournament, defeating Bob Risch by a stroke in the marathon 144-hole event.
In his rookie season, Zoeller earned $7,318, making 11 cuts in 22 starts. His best finish was a tie for 14th at the Hawaiian Open. His second year was a different story, as he improved 90 spots on the money list, finishing 56th and recording four top 10s, two of those runner-up finishes.
On back-to-back weeks in July, Zoeller was second at the John Deere Classic and again at the American Express Westchester Classic. The latter —the richest event on the PGA TOUR at the time — earned him $23,200 for his tie for second with Ben Crenshaw and Tom Watson, three shots behind David Graham. At the Quad Cities event, Zoeller opened the tournament with a 63. He casually walked into the media center following his round, and when a sportswriter asked him what he shot, he shared his score and then noted he birdied the final eight holes of his round.
Those eight consecutive birdies tied him for an at-the-time PGA TOUR record with Bob Goalby, who made eight in a row at the 1961 St. Petersburg Open.
With two more runner-up finishes in 1978 — at the Wyndham Championship and the Zurich Classic — Zoeller had earned a fair bit of notoriety, primarily because of how long he was off the tee, his easy-to-remember nickname and, unfortunately, his seeming inability to close the deal and win.
The lack of wins on his resume ended early in the 1979 season. Despite opening with a 4-over 76 at the Farmers Insurance Open, leaving him tied for 45th place after 18 holes, a pair of 67s and a final-round, even-par 72 at Torrey Pines Golf Course led to a five-stroke triumph over Tom Watson, Wayne Levi, Artie McNickle and fellow Hoosier Bill Kratzert.
“This is going to help me. It’s going to be great for my confidence,” he told the Associated Press following his triumph. “There are two questions everyone has to answer when they come out on the TOUR: ‘Can I make it? Then, if I make it, can I win?’ You have to prove it. Now I’ve proved it. That will make the second one come easier.”
Prescient words, to be sure.
Ten weeks later, playing in his first Masters, Zoeller began the final round five shots behind leader Ed Sneed. With his final round complete after shooting a 2-under 70, he assumed his would be another close call. Yet a late falter by Sneed, including a bogey on the par-4 18th hole at Augusta National, dropped Sneed into a playoff with Zoeller and Watson.
On the second hole of the playoff, a video clip that has since become part of Masters lore, Zoeller sank a 6-foot birdie putt to end the overtime session and win the green jacket. Zoeller flung his putter into the air in celebration, with CBS Sports’ Vin Scully later suggesting the putter might eventually be sighted spinning somewhere over Atlanta.
“I’m still on cloud nine and probably still will be for another three or four weeks. There are so many people who would like to be in my position, so why shouldn’t I enjoy myself?” Zoeller said.
Many years later, thinking back on that magical day in Augusta when he became only the second player to win the Masters on his first try, Zoeller said jokingly, “I’ve never been to heaven and, thinking back on my life, I probably won’t get a chance to go. I guess the Masters is as close as I’m going to get.”
Later that year, on the strength of his two wins and a ninth-place finish on the money list, Zoeller made his Ryder Cup debut, going 1-4-0 in his five matches during the U.S. team victory at The Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia.
Zoeller went on to win eight more TOUR titles, the most impressive coming at the 1984 U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club in New York. Zoeller trailed Hale Irwin by a stroke with a round to play, shot an even-par 70 on Sunday despite an uneven round that saw him make four birdies in succession on the front nine and no birdies and three bogeys on the back. Zoeller’s performance left him tied with Greg Norman and a date the following day in an 18-hole playoff, with Zoeller winning with ease. Zoeller shot a 3-under 67, the lowest 18-hole playoff score in U.S. Open history, to cruise to an eight-shot triumph.
Zoeller had another multi-win season in a stellar 1986 season, his victories coming at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the RBC Heritage, and the Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic.
In 1994, Zoeller had the best money-list finish of his career, closing the campaign in fifth place. That season may also have been one of his most frustrating. In three consecutive starts early in the season, Zoeller was a runner-up. His third straight close call came at TPC Sawgrass at that year’s THE PLAYERS Championship.
Late in the season, Zoeller was second at the Walt Disney World Oldsmobile Classic, and he lost in a playoff at the TOUR Championship to Mark McCumber at San Francisco’s Olympic Club.
Zoeller ended his TOUR career with 10 wins and 19 second-place performances. After turning 50, Zoeller played PGA TOUR Champions full-time between 2002 and 2012 before eventually curtailing his appearances but still competing as a part-time player. He won twice, once in his rookie season, at the 2002 Senior PGA Championship, and at the 2004 Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai.
After retiring as a player, Zoeller continued to support the sport, especially junior golf. In 2021, while the worldwide pandemic was still affecting professional golf, the PGA TOUR created the Forme Tour, giving PGA TOUR Canada, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and PGA TOUR Series-China players a place to play. The PGA TOUR approached Zoeller about hosting a tournament, and he arranged for his golf course, Covered Bridge Golf Club in Sellersburg, Indiana, to host The Fuzzy Zoeller Classic at Covered Bridge, a tournament won by Trevor Werbylo.
Biden now has a decent chance of beating this guy.
FUNNY man
Fuzzy was one of cancel cultures earliest targets.
At the TPC in Ponte Vedra Beach Florida, Fuzzy once quipped that Tiger Woods liked fried chicken and watermelon......of course the media went wild with accusations of overt racism until Tiger himself came to Fuzzys’ aide stating “I don’t know what the big deal is, I DO like fried chicken and watermelon” completely deflating the media’s hyperbole....not to mention Tiger Woods says himself he is not black.
They almost ruined a man’s career because of words......we should hate the media more than we do.
RIP Fuzzy and God’s speed 🙏
IF I’m not mistaken, the Fried Chicken and Watermelon comment by Zoeller was done at the Masters when Woods won his first Green Jacket, I think Woods won the Masters with tournament record at the time of -18 under par.
“. Zoeller trailed Hale Irwin by a stroke with a round to play, shot an even-par 70 on Sunday despite an uneven round that saw him make four birdies in succession on the front nine and no birdies and three bogeys on the back. Zoeller’s performance left him tied with Greg Norman and a date the following day in an 18-hole playoff, with Zoeller winning with ease. Zoeller shot a 3-under 67, the lowest 18-hole playoff score in U.S. Open history, to cruise to an eight-shot triumph.”
This leaves out the best moments. Fuzzy watched from the fairway as Norman made a long putt to tie Fuzzy on the 18 hole of regulation play. Fuzzy waved a towel in mock surrender and recognition. The next day Fuzzy won the 18 hole playoff by 8 strokes. Norman waved a towel at Fuzzy late in the day in recognition of Fuzzy’s accomplishment.
That's how I remember it. Fuzzy was the tour's premier jokester, and his was an obviously lighthearted comment which Woods could have easily defused immediately; however, he left him twisting in the wind for a couple of weeks before commenting. I never thought much of Woods after that.
Yep, the Masters......thanks for the correction 👍
That is how I remember it, too. Compare that to a decade earlier, when Isaiah Thomas made a joke about Larry Bird getting special treatment for being white. Said it on a Thursday, I believe, and the press lit him up. The following Sunday Bird was was on CBS, telling people to lighten up, it was a joke. Being an Enemy Celtic, I was no Bird fan, but I applauded him, that day. Like you, I never thought much of Woods,at that point, either.
Excellent “ring psychology” as they call it in fake wrestling. Caused Norman to choke. Sad that they’ve make it a 2-hole playoff now. Prefer Monday morning 18 hole drama.
It’s disgusting to read the editorial comments about his passing, as if one off-color joke defines his entire life.
By all accounts he was a good golfer and a good dude.
Good article-Thanks for posting!
Fuzzy was my mother’s favorite golfer.
How do you know you at Fuzzy Zoeller’s house?
The bedsheets have eyeholes.
Fuzzy was a victim of the Wokesters before anyone ever heard the term Woke.
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