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Zoeller's goal on tour: to make people smile

Senior rookie hasn't won, but he's happy to be playing golf.

By BOB HARIG, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 13, 2002

LUTZ -- As the countdown toward age 50 begins, aspiring senior golfers often begin to shed unwanted pounds, put in extra time on the practice tee and get themselves ready to sprint from the starting line when Senior PGA Tour eligibility commences.

As "rookies," it is time to shine, a chance to be competitive again after several years of chasing younger, more athletic golfers.

That time is now for Fuzzy Zoeller, who will play in his third senior event this week at the Verizon Classic.

But Zoeller didn't exactly become a gym rat while waiting for his 50th birthday to roll around in November. And forget about him being a regular at the tour's traveling fitness trailer.

"I don't exercise a lot," Zoeller said. "The last time I thought about exercising, I had to sit down until the thought passed."

In fact, Zoeller said, one of the perks of the senior tour also could present a problem.

"I'll have to fight my caddie for the cart," he quipped.

Zoeller arrives at a perfect time for the senior tour, which admittedly needed a dose of charisma. The tour has sought to become more fan-friendly by allowing spectators inside the ropes, giving clinics and making players available for on-course interviews during tournament rounds.

For Zoeller, that's a snap. He often whistles while he works, and is quick with a one-liner. You get the feeling he would have consented to an interview at the Masters during his 1979 playoff victory over Tom Watson and Ed Sneed, or five years later during an 18-hole playoff at the U.S. Open in which he defeated Greg Norman.

"All I can bring is a nice smiley face," Zoeller said. "Hopefully, I can bring a few more smiles out there. That's kind of the way I play the game; whether it's good or bad, I'm still smiling."

So far, senior tour results have been rather ordinary for Zoeller, a 10-time PGA Tour winner who has endured three back surgeries. He finished back in the pack at tournaments in Key Biscayne (51st) and Naples (22nd).

It might take some time. Zoeller posted no top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour in his last 65 starts and made just 13 of 40 cuts in the past three years. His last victory came in 1986.

Zoeller did make headlines, however. After Tiger Woods' 1997 victory at the Masters, Zoeller gave a greenside interview that was intended to be humorous but left him tabbed a racist by some. None of those present reported Zoeller's remarks about what meal Woods would choose the next year at the Masters champions dinner, but CNN ran a clip a week later.

"Tell him not to serve fried chicken next year ... or collard greens or whatever the hell they serve," Zoeller said.

Although he quickly offered his regrets and has maintained he intended no ill will, a slow acceptance of the apology from Woods meant the story lingered. A year later, by chance, the two were paired during the second round of the Masters, and Zoeller became a target. The jovial, good-natured golfer turned sullen.

"I think Fuzzy took a bum rap," said Earl Woods, Tiger's father, in an interview with Golf Digest. "I don't think it was personal, and I think he got slapped in the face inordinately. I feel sorry for the guy, and I hope he doesn't feel bitter toward Tiger and me for not coming to his rescue, because, hell, we didn't know."

The elder Woods said he and his son were in meetings at Nike headquarters during the firestorm after Zoeller's remarks and didn't realize the extent of the damage. It has been speculated that a swifter response from Woods would have quelled the controversy.

With the senior tour looming, the subject has rarely been broached. In a preseason conference call to promote Zoeller's arrival, nobody asked Zoeller about what happened five years ago. When the Woods incident came up in Key Biscayne, Zoeller said, "That's gone, gone. That was '97. I don't know. Who the hell looks backwards? I never look backwards, I always look forward."

And the same could be said about his career. Zoeller was on top of the golf world when he defeated Norman at the '84 U.S. Open, capturing his second major championship.

Then, just two months later, he could barely walk. He had a ruptured disc that required surgery and six months of rehabilitation. Amazingly, he came back to win the next spring at the Bay Hill Invitational.

Two more surgeries robbed Zoeller of more opportunities, but he has no regrets.

"I'm winning every day I get out there and play the game of golf," he said. "That's the key, enjoying the game. If you look at my career, I've been very fortunate. Three back surgeries, and I'm still able to play and make a living. That's how I'm winning."

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