Fuzzy Zoeller died this Thursday at the age of 74. An inappropriate comment, with racist undertones, when in 1997 during Tiger Woods's uprising he said, "Tell him not to serve fried chicken at next year's Champions Dinner (a food associated with poverty in Black ghettos)," ruined all the accolades he had received throughout his career, especially for being the only player in the modern era to win the Masters Tournament on his first attempt. His apologies over several years proved futile.
Fuzzy Zoeller, news
Zoeller was literally the only debutant to win the green jacket, in 1979. There were two other golfers who won the world's most prestigious tournament: Horton Smith, in the inaugural 1934 edition, and Gene Sarazen, the following year, after being unable to participate in the first Masters. But the coveted jacket was not yet awarded.
The American in the striped polo shirt prevailed on the second playoff hole against Ed Sneed and Tom Watson. It was a windy Sunday, one of the toughest ever seen at Augusta National, with high scores, and Zoeller pulled off the feat of overcoming a four-stroke deficit in the final six holes. The champion managed two birdies and an eagle in that stretch, while Sneed finished with three bogeys.
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Precisely on the 15th hole, the scene of great feats, the latest being Rory McIlroy's shot in this year's tournament that will be considered the shot of the year, the same hole where Sarazen made an albatross in 1935, Zoeller was the protagonist of one of the most fantastic and least recognized shots in history.
Back then, they still used local caddies, and Jerry Beard, as his was called, told him from the fairway: "If you see the water, you have to go for the green with your second shot." Standing on tiptoe, he could barely see the lake, but he opted to hit a wood from 217 meters that landed right on the edge of the green. And from there, he sank the eagle that ultimately took him to the playoff.
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There, in the first sudden-death playoff of the tournamentuntil then, 18 holes were played the following dayhe sank a birdie from three meters and tossed his putter into the air in one of the iconic images in Augusta history. He would later win the 1984 U.S. Open in another overtime against Greg Norman, after humorously waving a white towel in surrender when the Australian tied him on the 72nd hole.
A native of Indiana and father of four, Zoeller collected eight other PGA Tour titles and two Ryder Cups. The following year, he conferred the Masters on Seve Ballesteros as the first-ever winner. They forged a strong friendship. They were often seen smiling together at every tournament.
