Fuzzy Zoeller, a 10-time PGA Tour winner and one of the most colorful golfers in tour history, has died, the PGA Tour announced Thursday, Nov. 27.
Zoeller was 74. No cause of death was disclosed.
Though he blended his golf skill with humor, his racist joke about Tiger Woods created a firestorm.
The controversy took place as Woods was on his way to win the 1997 Masters when Zoeller referred to Woods as "that little boy" and urged Woods not to request fried chicken or collard greens for the Champions Dinner before next year's Masters at Augusta. Zoeller apologized but the comments haunted him for years.
"The PGA Tour is saddened by the passing of Fuzzy Zoeller," Jay Monahan, commissioner of the PGA Tour, said in a statement posted on X. "Fuzzy was a true original whose talent and charisma left an indelible mark on the game of golf. Fuzzy combined competitive excellence with a sense of humor that endeared him to fans and fellow players alike. We celebrate his remarkable legacy and extend our deepest condolences to his family."
