Fuzzy Zoller, a 10-time PGA Tour winner and one of the most decorated golfers in tour history, has died, the PGA Tour announced on Thursday, November 27th.
Zoller is 74 years old. The cause of death has not been disclosed.
He combined golf skills with humor, but his racist joke about Tiger Woods sparked a firestorm.
The controversy came as Woods was trying to win the 1997 Masters, with Zoller calling Woods “that brat” and urging Woods not to ask for fried chicken or collard greens at next year’s pre-Masters Champions Dinner in Augusta. Zoller apologized, but the comment haunted her for years.
“The PGA Tour is saddened by the news of Fuzzy Zoller’s passing,” PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement published in “He left an indelible mark on his family. Fuzzy was a great athlete with a great sense of humor and was loved by fans and fellow players alike. We honor his accomplishments and extend our deepest condolences to his family.”
Zoller attracted galleries as much for his humor as for his golf exploits, which was important in its own right. He won the Masters in 1979 and the U.S. Open in 1984. He also won the PGA Tour Champions twice.
Racist ‘fried chicken’ joke haunts Zoller
Zoller had already completed the final round of the Masters in 1997, when the then 21-year-old Woods was hurtling toward victory and his first green jacket.
“The kid drives well and putsts well,” Zoller told CNN when asked for his thoughts on Woods, according to the Associated Press. “He does everything he can to win.” So if he comes in here, do you guys know what you’re going to do? You pat him on the back, congratulate him, have fun, and tell him not to serve fried chicken next year. Understood? “
As he left, Zoller turned around and said, “Or collard greens or whatever they serve,” according to the Associated Press.
Zoeller apologized the next day, but initially denied calling Woods “boy.”
“I’m a fun-loving person. I’m always joking and telling jokes. I apologize if anyone interpreted that as a racial remark.”
However, Zoller continued to face backlash and issued further apologies.
“I cried many times,” Zoller wrote in Golf Digest in 2008. I have hundreds of friends, including people of color, and they can attest to that. Still, I accepted the fact that this case would never go away. ”
