Augusta warms to Fuzzy
'79 champion will be playing in his final Masters
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Hundreds of golf fans braved cold and windy weather Monday night to pay homage to a Masters Tournament champion. Fuzzy Zoeller, celebrating the 30th anniversary of his 1979 Masters win, was given a key to the city by Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver at the 11th annual Mayor's Masters Reception at Augusta Common.
The evening capped Fuzzy Zoeller Day in Augusta. The day started when Copenhaver and Zoeller made a visit to the Walton Rehabilitation Foundation's Adaptive Golf Challenge at the First Tee of Augusta.
"He was supposed to be there 15 minutes, but he stayed for well over an hour," Copenhaver said.
As the day concluded with fans chanting his name in downtown Augusta, Zoeller took the stage and confirmed that this year would mark his final Masters Tournament.
The Indiana native used the Monday night event to explain his reasoning.
"People ask me why. It's because it's on my terms," he said.
"The golf course is too long ... That is the reason this will be my last year. I'm not enjoying myself."
But Zoeller did enjoy his time on stage with family and friends at the evening reception. Only the third player to win the Masters on his first try, Zoeller was a natural pick to be honored this year, Copenhaver said.
"I grew up a Fuzzy Zoeller fan," Copenhaver said. "I followed him around when I was 8 years old."
The mayor's dig at the champion's age sparked an irreverent, entertaining evening in honor of the 57-year-old golfer.
Zoeller's daughter, Gretchen, kept the crowd entertained with several one-liners as she read letters to her father written by Masters legends Ben Crenshaw, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Raymond Floyd.
"I'm caddying for my father this week," she said. "I never thought I'd say this, but I want my caddie suit now. I'm freezing."
The low temperatures didn't deter golf fans seeking free food and a chance to hear from Zoeller. Dave and Karen George, of Sarasota, Fla., met up with friends Chris Halaska and John Sgarlata from Wisconsin to join in the evening's festivities. They'll attend today's practice round for their first Masters experience.
"We wanted to see the course," Dave George said. "We've heard how beautiful it is, and we've seen it on TV, but we want to experience it for ourselves."
Reach Billy Byler at (706) 823-3216 or billy.byler@augustachronicle.com.
Masters Record
| Year | Place | Score | Round | Money | |||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||
| 2008 | 92 | 16 | 81 | 79 | $ 10,000 | ||
| 2007 | 60 | 25 | 74 | 78 | 79 | 82 | $ 15,950 |
| 2006 | 82 | 15 | 78 | 81 | $ 0 | ||
| 2005 | 88 | 18 | 84 | 78 | $ 0 | ||
| 2004 | 89 | 16 | 79 | 81 | $ 0 | ||
| 2003 | 69 | 11 | 77 | 78 | $ 0 | ||
| 2002 | 72 | 8 | 75 | 77 | $ 0 | ||
| 2001 | 67 | 5 | 77 | 72 | $ 5,000 | ||
| 2000 | 85 | 12 | 82 | 74 | $ 5,000 | ||
| 1999 | 57 | 5 | 72 | 77 | $ 5,000 | ||
| 1998 | 33 | 6 | 71 | 74 | 75 | 74 | $ 18,112 |
| 1997 | 34 | 7 | 75 | 73 | 69 | 78 | $ 14,918 |
| 1996 | 45 | 3 | 74 | 73 | $ 1,500 | ||
| 1995 | 48 | 2 | 72 | 74 | $ 1,500 | ||
| 1994 | 35 | 10 | 74 | 72 | 74 | 78 | $ 10,300 |
| 1993 | 11 | -2 | 75 | 67 | 71 | 73 | $ 34,850 |
| 1992 | 19 | -5 | 71 | 70 | 73 | 69 | $ 17,550 |
| 1991 | 13 | -6 | 70 | 70 | 75 | 67 | $ 26,500 |
| 1990 | 20 | 1 | 72 | 74 | 73 | 70 | $ 15,100 |
| 1989 | 26 | 5 | 76 | 74 | 69 | 74 | $ 8,240 |
| 1988 | 16 | 2 | 76 | 66 | 72 | 76 | $ 16,000 |
| 1987 | 27 | 7 | 76 | 71 | 76 | 72 | $ 6,267 |
| 1986 | 21 | -1 | 73 | 73 | 69 | 72 | $ 9,300 |
| 1985 | 61 | 8 | 77 | 75 | $ 1,500 | ||
| 1984 | 31 | 1 | 72 | 73 | 70 | 74 | $ 4,000 |
| 1983 | 20 | 4 | 70 | 74 | 76 | 72 | $ 5,214 |
| 1982 | 10 | 2 | 72 | 76 | 70 | 72 | $ 8,550 |
| 1981 | 43 | 9 | 77 | 70 | 78 | 72 | $ 1,500 |
| 1980 | 19 | -1 | 72 | 70 | 70 | 75 | $ 3,990 |
| 1979 | 1 | -8 | 70 | 71 | 69 | 70 | $ 50,000 |
