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FILE – Fuzzy Zoeller, Masters champion, attends the first tee ceremony prior to the first round of the 2017 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 6, 2017 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Frank Urban “Fuzzy” Zoeller Jr., two-time major golf champion and notoriously known for his racially insensitive joke about Tiger Woods, has died.
He was 74 years old.
Dig deeper:
Brian Naugle, the tournament director of the Insperity Invitational in Houston, said Zoeller’s daughter called him Thursday with the news of his passing.
A cause of death was not immediately shared.
Zoeller’s wife, Diane, died in 2021. Zoeller is survived by his three children.
Legendary golfer haunted by racist remarks
The backstory:
Zoeller was the last player to win the Masters on his first attempt, a three-man playoff in 1979.
He famously waved a white towel at Winged Foot in 1984 when he thought Greg Norman had beat him, only to defeat Norman in an 18-hole playoff the next day.
But it was the 1997 Masters that changed his popularity.
During an interview with CNN, Zoeller was asked about the then 21-year-old Woods. Woods was on his way to the most dominant win ever at Augusta National.
What they’re saying:
“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?,” Zoeller said.
He smiled and snapped his fingers, and as he was walking away he turned and said, “Or collard greens or whatever the hell they serve.”
That moment haunted him the rest of his career.
Zoeller apologized for his remarks but said he got death threats following the interview.
Writing for Golf Digest in 2008, he said it was “the worst thing I’ve gone through in my entire life.”
“If people wanted me to feel the same hurt I projected on others, I’m here to tell you they got their way,” Zoeller wrote. “I’ve cried many times. I’ve apologized countless times for words said in jest that just aren’t a reflection of who I am. I have hundreds of friends, including people of color, who will attest to that.
“Still, I’ve come to terms with the fact that this incident will never, ever go away.”
The Source: Information for this article was taken from The Associated Press.
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