Legendary Golfer Fuzzy Zoeller Dies at 74

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00:00Legendary golfer Fuzzy Zoller dies at 74.

00:04Fuzzy Zoller, one of the most colorful golfers in PGA Tour history, has died at 74.

00:11The PGA Tour announced his death Thursday on X.

00:15The PGA Tour is saddened by the passing of Fuzzy Zoller,

00:18Jay Monaghan, commissioner of the PGA Tour, said in a statement.

00:22Fuzzy was a true original whose talent and charisma left an indelible mark on the game of golf.

00:29Fuzzy combined competitive excellence with a sense of humor that endeared him to fans and fellow players alike.

00:35We celebrate his remarkable legacy and extend our deepest condolences to his family.

00:41According to a report by USA Today, there was no cause of death revealed for the 10-time PGA Tour winner.

00:48Zoller was known for his humor as much as his golf skills.

00:51However, he never quite escaped the controversy that occurred when he made an insensitive racist comment about Tiger Woods.

00:57As Woods was on the cusp of winning the 1997 Masters, Zoller referred to him as that little boy.

01:04He also encouraged Woods not to request fried chicken or collard greens for the champion's dinner before the following year's Masters.

01:11That little boy is driving well, and he's putting well, Zoller said to CNN, according to the Associated Press.

01:19He's doing everything it takes to win.

01:21So, you know what you guys do when he gets in here?

01:24You pat him on the back and say,

01:26Congratulations, and enjoy it, and tell him not to serve fried chicken next year.

01:30Got it?

01:31As he walked away, Zoller turned back and said,

01:34Or collard greens or whatever the hell they serve, per the AP.

01:39Zoller apologized, but the stigma never went away.

01:43I'm a fun-loving person, he said.

01:45I make jokes, cut jokes all the time.

01:48My apologies if somebody interpreted that into a racial remark.

01:51I've cried many times, Zoller wrote for Golf Digest in 2008.

01:56I've apologized countless times for words said in jest that just aren't a reflection of who I am.

02:02I have hundreds of friends, including people of color, who will attest to that.

02:06Still, I've come to terms with the fact that this incident will never, ever go away.

02:11Zoller won the Masters in 1979 and the U.S. Open in 1984.

02:16He also won twice on the PGA Tour Champions.