Frank “Fuzzy” Zoeller Jr., the amiable golfer who won two major championships and whose later career was marred by a racially insensitive remark about Tiger Woods, has died at 74, a longtime colleague said. A cause of death was not immediately available. Brian Naugle, tournament director of the Insperity Invitational in Houston, said Zoeller’s daughter called with the news Thursday.
Zoeller rose to prominence with a memorable victory at the Masters in 1979, becoming the last player to win the tournament in his first appearance when he prevailed in a three-man playoff. He won his second major at the 1984 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, forcing and then winning an 18-hole playoff after a dramatic late turnaround against Greg Norman. At Winged Foot he famously waved a white towel after Norman sank a long putt, thinking it had secured the tournament; when he realized the putt was for par and a playoff was required, Zoeller went on to win decisively.
Over his PGA Tour career Zoeller collected two major titles and eight other tour victories. On the senior circuit he added two PGA Tour Champions wins, including the Senior PGA Championship. He was admired for his brisk pace of play, easygoing manner and a habit of whistling between shots. His exuberant celebration at the 1979 Masters — culminating in a jubilant toss of his putter after a playoff birdie — remains one of the tournament’s enduring images.
Zoeller’s public reputation was significantly affected after the 1997 Masters. In remarks to the media following Tiger Woods’s dominant victory, Zoeller made a racially insensitive joke about what Woods should be served at the champions’ dinner. He apologized, later calling the comment misconstrued, but the incident drew strong criticism, prompted death threats that he said lasted for years, and became a defining controversy in his life. In a 2008 Golf Digest piece he described the episode as the worst thing he had gone through, saying he had cried many times and apologized repeatedly for words spoken in jest that did not reflect who he said he was.
Born in New Albany, Indiana, Zoeller took the nickname “Fuzzy” from his father. He played junior college golf in Florida, then for the University of Houston before turning professional. In 1985 he received the U.S. Golf Association’s Bob Jones Award, the organization’s highest honor for distinguished sportsmanship.
Zoeller was preceded in death by his wife, Diane, who died in 2021. He is survived by three children, including daughter Gretchen, with whom he sometimes teamed in the PNC Championship.
Friends and fans will remember Zoeller for his accomplishments on the course, his quick smile and easygoing personality, as well as for a controversy that he acknowledged would not easily be forgotten.