1973-79. First major success at 1979 Masters
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Frank Urban Zoeller earned the nickname 'Fuzzy' due to his initials and
it is a name that has stayed with this highly popular player throughout
his career. Zoeller joined the tour in 1975,although he had actually
turned pro two years earlier,and first caught the eye at the 1976 Quad
Cities Open. A magnificent round of 63 was all the more remarkable for
the fact it finished with eight consecutive birdies which equalled the
record held by Bob Goalby. Fuzzy won his first tour event with his
success at the 1979 San Diego Open and then pulled off a shock victory
at the Masters of that year. Going into the final round he found himself
six strokes behind Ed Sneed who,with just three holes to play and a
three shot lead,appeared to have one hand on the trophy. It was not to
be,however,as Sneed bogeyed each of those last three holes to join
Zoeller and Tom Watson in a play-off. All three men parred the first
extra hole and Fuzzy then kept his cool to roll in a birdie putt at the
second hole to secure his first major championship. In doing so he
became only the third man to win the Masters on his debut appearance and
the first since Gene Sarazen way back in 1935. The only other player to
have achieved such a feat was Horton Smith the previous year to Sarazen
although this was the first ever Masters to be played. That Masters
triumph guaranteed Fuzzy his Ryder Cup debut but it was something of a
disappointment for the man from Indiana as he could muster only one
point from a possible five in the American's 17-11 success. (David Scranage)
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Fuzzy Zoeller pictured at the 1985 British Open. Photo G. Herringshaw. ©
1980-85. Second major title at 1984 US Open
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After his Masters victory of 1979 the first three years of the new
decade were something of a disappointment for Fuzzy Zoeller,although
there was a fine performance at the 1981 PGA Championship where he
finished second to Larry Nelson. Fuzzy's total of three under par was
four shots back on his fellow American whose pair of 66's in the middle
two rounds proved to be decisive. In 1983 Zoeller was victorious at the
Sea Pines Heritage and Panasonic Las Vegas Pro Celebrity Classic earning
himself a return to the Ryder Cup team in the process. It proved to be a
thrilling encounter although Fuzzy,after his defeat in partnership with
Gil Morgan in the first day four-balls,did not re-appear until the
final day singles. In the first match of the day he earned a vital half
point against the brilliant Spaniard Seve Ballesteros to help the
Americans to the narrowest of victories at 14 1/2-13 1/2.
The US Open
the following year,played at Winged Foot,saw Fuzzy lift his second major
championship with a play-off victory over Greg Norman. With just five
holes to play and a three stroke lead Zoeller appeared to have all but
secured the title but a magnificent 40-foot putt at the last by Norman
meant the players returned the next day. Zoeller was at his imperious
best to card a 67 whilst the Australian could manage only a 75 to hand
the man from New Albany that second major title. Fuzzy made his last
Ryder Cup appearance in the 1985 match at the Belfry but it proved to be
a disappointment as he failed to register a point in his three matches
as the Americans suffered a 16 1/2-11 1/2,giving the European team their
first ever victory. (David Scranage)
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1st. July 1994. Photo G.Herringshaw. ©
1986 onwards. Indian summer of 1994
Fuzzy Zoeller was to enjoy a fine year in 1986 with victories at the
AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am,Sea Pines Heritage and
Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic to his name. Therafter he suffered a
downturn in fortunes before enjoying something of a resurgance in the
early-mid 1990s. There was,of course,the odd notable performance along
the way including an 8th place finish at the 1988 U.S. Open where he was
six strokes behind the winner Curtis Strange. In the same event two
years later he was 8th once again this time finishing four shots back on
the surprise champion Hale Irwin. In the 1991 PGA Championship Fuzzy
carded rounds of 72,73,74 and a fine closing effort of 67 to finish in a
highly creditable 5th place at two under par. Three years later Zoeller
was to enjoy a highly profitable year without actually winning a
tournament. His five runner-up finishes was the most since the six
apiece that those legends of the game Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer
had back in 1964. Zoeller's total of $1,016,804 gave him a 5th place
finish in the U.S. Money List in what was his best performance since his
second place behind Hal Sutton back in 1983. Fuzzy's Indian Summer
continued at the 1994 Open at Turnberry (see photo above) where
he enjoyed his best ever finish of third with a score of nine under par.
That total included two magnificent middle rounds of 66 and 64 but the
tournament was won by Nick Price who played some quite sublime golf to
return rounds of 69,66,67 and 66 for a total of 12 under par. (David
Scranage) |