Fuzzy Zoeller

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Frank Urban "Fuzzy" Zoeller, Jr. (born November 11, 1951) is a professional golfer. He was born in New Albany, Indiana. He attended the University of Houston and turned professional in 1973.

In 1979 Zoeller became one of only three golfers to have won The Masters in his first appearance in the event. The other two were the winners of the first two Masters, Horton Smith and Gene Sarazen. His other win in a major championship came at the 1984 U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club, at which he notably waved a white towel from the 18th fairway in mock surrender after Greg Norman holed a long putt to tie him. Zoeller defeated Norman in an 18 hole playoff (67 to 75) the next day to win the Open, and Norman, amused by Zoeller's gesture, waved a white towel in "real" surrender to return the favor. Zoeller played on three Ryder Cup teams: 1979, 1983, and 1985.

Zoeller, always known for his humorous locker room humor and appetite for having fun, was voted the 1985 winner of the Bob Jones Award, the highest honor given by the United States Golf Association in recognition of outstanding sportsmanship. However, he is also known for having made racist remarks regarding Tiger Woods during the 1997 Masters tournament. With his usual cocktail in hand, Zoeller made the remarks after finishing his final Masters round, a poor 78 that placed him in a tie for 34th in the final standings.[1]

Zoeller's comments at the Masters were: "That little boy is driving well and he's putting well. He's doing everything it takes to win. So, you know what you guys do when he gets in here? You pat him on the back and say congratulations and enjoy it and tell him not to serve fried chicken next year. Got it?"

Then Zoeller smiled, snapped his fingers, and walked away. Then he turned and added, "or collard greens or whatever the hell they serve." In reference to the food, Zoeller was referring to the following year's Master's Club Champion's Dinner. The defending champion selects the menu. Incidentally, Woods chose cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, French fries and milkshakes.[2]

The incident cost Zoeller endorsement deals including his most lucrative, K-Mart and Dunlop. He later publicly apologized for his remarks, and said he only meant them in jest. He went as far as to meet with Woods to privately explain the surrounding circumstances of his statements. Woods accepted his apology but initially refused to give specifics with regard to their conversation[3].

Zoeller joined the Champions Tour in 2002 and won a senior major, the Senior PGA Championship that year. As of January 2007 his only other Champions Tour win was the 2003 MasterCard Championship. He continues to be one of the most popular players on The PGA Champions Tour.

In June of 2006, Zoeller made a hole in one on the 170-yard 16th at the Allianz Championship that seems to defy logic and gravity. It is one of the most heavily viewed golf videos on the Internet.[1]

[edit] PGA Tour wins

Major championships shown in bold.

[edit] Champions Tour wins

Senior major championship is shown in bold.

[edit] Other wins

  • 1972 Florida State Junior College Championship (individual)
  • 1973 Indiana State Amateur
  • 1985 Skins Game
  • 1986 Skins Game
  • 1987 Merrill Lynch Shoot-Out Championship
  • 2002 Senior Slam
  • 2003 Tylenol Par-3 Challenge

[edit] Results in major championships

Tournament 1976 1977 1978 1979
The Masters DNP DNP DNP 1
U.S. Open T38 T44 CUT CUT
The Open Championship DNP DNP DNP CUT
PGA Championship DNP T54 10 T54
Tournament 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
The Masters T19 T43 T10 T20 T31 CUT T21 T27 T16 T26
U.S. Open T53 DNP T15 CUT 1 T9 T15 CUT T8 CUT
The Open Championship CUT DNP T8 T14 T14 T11 T8 T29 T52 CUT
PGA Championship T41 2 CUT T6 DNP T54 CUT 64 CUT CUT
Tournament 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
The Masters T20 T12 T19 T11 T35 CUT CUT T34 T33 CUT
U.S. Open T8 T5 CUT T68 T58 T21 DNP T28 CUT CUT
The Open Championship DNP T80 DNP T14 3 DNP CUT DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship T14 CUT DNP T31 T19 69 T36 CUT DNP DNP
Tournament 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
The Masters CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT
U.S. Open DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
The Open Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship DNP DNP CUT DNP DNP DNP DNP

DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10

[edit] References

  1. ^ GOLF: ROUNDUP; Efficient Pettersson Continues To Hold Off All Challengers. The New York Times (2006-06-04). Retrieved on 2006-12-13.

[edit] External links

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