April 4, 2025 • 16 mins
With the year rolling on as we now enter the month of April, we kickoff off many different spring sports as we inch towards the beginning of the summer. Switching to Golf for a moment; the Valero Texas Open is set to undergo Round 2 today down in San Antonio, followed with the 2025 Masters Tournament set to begin next week down in Augusta. Reaching the 89th edition of the Masters Tournament this year, Sean and Dan are joined by golf legend Frank Urban "Fuzzy" Zoeller Jr. ahead of the ramp up for the 2025 Masters Tournament. Having won 10 PGA tournaments with two major championships and one of only three golfers to ever win a Masters Tournament in their first appearance, Fuzzy shares a bit of his insight on what exactly this tournament means and who he's got winning this years Masters following Scottie Scheffler the reigning champion from the year prior.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
The Jean Salisbury Show continues.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
I've never been able to interview him, but I've always
wanted to, and we get him on today. Fuzzy Zeller
Masters winner with Augusta next week. I know they're finishing
up here at Valero Texas Open the next few days,
the final tune up before Augusta. Some have already tuned up,
ready to go. He's won the Masters. He's a uh guy, okay,
so he knows about the h town. He's also won
(00:26):
the in the US Open in nineteen eighty four, so
one of the toughest tests on a planet. Fuzzy Zeller
joins US now. Fuzzy, welcome in. It's sure great to
have you. Let me ask you this. You live in Indiana.
I know you spend time in Florida as well. How
much golf do you play now in your retirement from
the tour.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Ah, you know, it's funny you bring that up. I
haven't played golf in six years.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
You have not played golf, not even a fun round
with your buddies and having some of your vodka.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
No, I haven't. You know. My wife's got very, very sick,
and she was on our way south on me and
I just decided to give it up and spend more
time at the house with Hood for the last couple
of years, and I'm kind of glad I did it.
I'll be honest with you.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Do you watch as much a do you watch? You
still watch a lot and then watch the new age
golfer and watch the guys that you've played with on
tour and broadcast with. Do you still watch it the
same way?
Speaker 3 (01:21):
But now you know what? It's crazy? But I don't
watch golf. And the reason it is I can't. I
cannot relate to how far they hit the ball.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Right.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
No, I'm still back there. I'm still back there, dragging
along until two hundred and fifty y yard line, and uh,
these guys are popping out there three forty three fifty
and I have a hard time relating to.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
That fuzzy is it? Is it okay?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Just on the overall thought process, and I think we
all have a hard time relating. Yet one hundred and
sixty pounders are pumping it out there three hundred yards
and I know the equipment golfer's better your era are
now And is the equipment such a major advantage? You know?
We talk about it in pro sports too. Well, could
this NBA play in the previous NBA or NFL? So
(02:06):
because of equipment, has it made the game? As you said,
you don't watch it, but is it an advantage that
quite frankly, we don't get to see true and fair
ball striking because they're hitting eight irons into par fives.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Well, it's kind of strange and a little different. You know
what's bad about it with the link that these young
men are hitting the golf ball. It's all of our
little jewels in golf. The older golf courses are kind
of obsolete because they're too short, which is not of bad.
You know, you got to go play. These courses are
(02:38):
seventy five, seventy six hundred Micha. We're going to Augusta
next week. That golf course they have stretched out. I
don't know who's seventy six and they're with the hills
and everything. But they have to do it in order
to be competitive.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Now, you know, you don't watch it the course they're
about to go play at Augusta.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
You want to It was in seventy nine.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
I believe it was your rookie year, am I correct, Fuzzy,
It's wasn't it your rookie, your rookie time at Augusta,
your first trip to Augusta, Is that correct?
Speaker 3 (03:10):
That was my first time ever. Yes, driving down Monday
morning Magnolia Lane was my mother and dad in the
front seat, only because my wife was home and couldn't
travel because she was pregnant with our first child. So, okay,
that we had We had a We had a lot
of first I had a first kid coming on the keepers. Oh,
(03:31):
the first time my mother and dad ever been there.
We had a great we had a great week.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Yeah, I guess I guess you did, because it's tough
on rookies to go there and win. Let alae a veterans.
So in seventy nine when you drove down Magnolia Lane
and you were thinking, Okay, I'm here, and you know that,
I'm sure you had the chills, like we all your
first trip to Fenway Park or whatever it is, it
gives you that that venue, you're waltzing into that venue.
Did you think you legitimately had a chance to win
(03:56):
at that golf course as a rookie?
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Well, about the only thing I could tell you, because
I didn't know anything about the golf course, just from
what I had seen on TV, and trust the TV
does not do that golf course justice. You don't really
see the slope of the greens, and I see you're
not picking up the hills and the valleys that you
got to play through. It's it. It was different, entirely
(04:23):
different than what I was expecting. But now I was
playing well when I went there, and I just I
just had a very good week of golf. I had
great pairings to play with, and I just I enjoyed
the whole week.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Fuzzy Zeller, two time major winner US Open and the
Masters and one of the Hall of Fame golfer joins
us here on Sports Talk seven ninety Sean Salisbury Show.
And you mentioned pairings, and we'll get to the course
as well, but pairings, you you know, whistled while you
worked and had fun and almost looked. And I mean
this as a compliment because I always say quarterbacks that
(04:58):
look bored kind of they play, but it's like the poise,
it's just nothing's bothering them. That was one of your
calling cards. So as a rookie, was it being naive
to the golf course because of all the undulation that
we don't see on TV. Was it any advantage that
day because you're really like, well, what, I'm just gonna
let it rip, man. I got good pairings. It was cool.
Nobody expects me to win. I'm young, I know nothing
(05:19):
about the golf course, so I'm gonna try to hit
it in the right spot and go make a few pets.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Is that kind of the way you had to approach it?
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Well, the way I approached that, I was riding my
caddies back, Jerry Beard. Jeriah was outstanding because I didn't
know anything about the golf course. I was, you know,
played what nine holes on a Monday eighteen on Tuesday Wednesday,
and then I got paired with Trevino on the first day,
so I was still learning as I was going. But
(05:49):
I was listening to Jerry, and like I say, I
was able to hit.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
The golf ball where Jerry.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Told me to, and I was very fortunate for that.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
What's your favorite hole there at Augusta?
Speaker 3 (06:02):
All of them? All of them. I can't say there's
one hole that stands out over any other. It's all
I can tell people. If they're going there for the
first time and they walked down the tenth hole, just
remember look back because you got to walk back up
you make the turn. Once you make that turn at thirteen,
(06:25):
it's all uphill from there, so it's an entirely different deal.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
What was that?
Speaker 2 (06:29):
What was your lead going in? Where were you when
you're standing on Do you remember on the Sunday? I
can't remember who you were playing against in the final
I mean who was your partner in the final round?
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Who was in the last one?
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Tom Watson and I played the final round together, and
we were chasing, chasing ed speed. Okay, so that Steed
had had the lead going into the final round, okay,
and then he bow you the last three holes, which
gave Tom Watson and I the I guess the opportunity
that we were looking for because the door opened, and
(07:02):
as we say on tour, if you open the door
a little bit, there's three or four guys that are
going to step their feet in.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
When you and Tom got to eighteen, what was the
what was the lead? Or was who was in the
lead at eighteen? When you stood at eighteen? That pretty
decent part four.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Well, it still had a two shot lead coming into seventeen.
When Tom and I ted off eighteen, we were well,
we were still two shots back.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Yeah, because he was in the final group playing behind
you obviously, right, yep, right, and.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
So well, I had a hard enough. I had a
hard enough time finding my golf ball, much less worry
about where his. Well we got we got in, and
we were standing there in the scoring tent, which used
to be right behind the eighteenth green when well, when edge,
I guess mister short put at seventeen and again on
(07:56):
eighteen for a bogie and put. Tom and I ended
the playoffs. It was the first sudden death playoff they'd
ever had.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
And so when you went to that sudden death playoff
standing on the t box, you're a rookie and you
got you know, you're standing next to Tom Watson's pretty
good hisself. Do you remember your emotions that day?
Speaker 3 (08:15):
Oh? I really didn't have any because I, you know,
like I said, I was hitting the ball well, and
when you're swinging well, there's really not much you think about.
You don't think about rhythm, you don't think about anything.
You just kind of let it happen. And that's what
I did. I drove it very accurate on ten, and
then I hit a bomb on eleven, in which I
(08:37):
don't know where it came from. But it was like
I had some extra little poof behind the ball and
it went down there. Well, I had an eight iron
into my hands and I hadn't even come close to
hitting an eight under that hole, So I don't know.
It was a lot of good things happening that day.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Well, I guess so. And Crown Masters Champion in seventy nine.
Then obviously you opening eighty four among a bunch of
Hall of Fame wins along the way, Fuzzy Zeller for
a few more minutes here on the Sewn Salisbury Show,
won the Masters as a rookie sudden death against Tom
Watson in overtime and sudden death in nineteen seventy nine.
All right, Fuzzy, who you don't watch it much? We
(09:17):
know the shufflers and the rest of them. Let me
ask you this. If you had one golf course to
play the rest of your life, if you started playing again,
can you name two or three that you say that's
the only one I'd play the rest of my life.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
If I was pinned down, which one would it be?
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Well, I just please put this with. A doctor came
to me said I got twenty four hours he'd go
play eighteen more holes. I'd go to Augusta one more time,
one more time, just something. There's something magical and special
about Augusta National. Now. Is it the best golf course
in the world. I can't say that. All I can
(09:51):
tell you is it's a damn good woman. Thinking about
when they built that golf course. In the equipment they
had to use, you know, it's not like what they
have nowadays. I mean they can move earth, they can
move mountains nowadays. Well, they didn't have that equipment back
then when this golf course was cut out into the
hills of beautiful Georgia. And I got to tell you
(10:13):
it is absolutely spectacular.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Was Augusta on the four majors?
Speaker 2 (10:20):
From the Open, the US Open, the Gusta and the PGA.
Was even though you said Augusta be the course you
played when you started playing professional golf. Was I mean,
you want to win them all? But was there one
that you said that's the top or the toughest one
to win? Which are the four majors? Would you have
wanted to win if they only allowed you to win one?
Is it Augusta would have been somewhere else?
Speaker 3 (10:43):
No, that the green jacket is magical, that's all I
can tell you. It's hard to put into words what
that green jacket means, especially two people who have really
no idea, but it is a magical thing. Now, the
hardest one, the hard US one to win as the
US opened or because of the traditions that we play under.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
Are you going to be at Augusta this week coming up?
Speaker 3 (11:09):
No, I'm not till Sunday morning, So you'll go and
think there's any reason, no reason to rush in there, right?
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Yeah? Absolutely? What was your what was your champions dinner?
It's fuzzy? What was your fuzzy? Zeller joined us for
a couple more minutes. What was your champions dinner the
next year? What did you have on the menu?
Speaker 3 (11:28):
Well, you know what they do it a little differently
now than when when I was there, But you know
I had Jeens service, and I had Claude Harmon, oh god,
Byron Nelson. I had all the older guys. Yeah, you
think about it. Those guys all like some like steak,
some like fish, some like their chicken. So I just
(11:48):
had an open menu to.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
Them whatever they wanted.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
That's what they could get. Oh that's nice y, Yeah,
it was open now they bring in the special cheft.
Uh I guess cooked the specialties that the guys won,
so it's a little different. I use the chefs there
(12:12):
on on as they say at Augusta, and they did
a tremendous job. I didn't hear any complaints. But you know,
with Arnold and Jack and uh Gary h they all
eat different things. I mean it's crazy. Sometimes they want salad,
sometimes they want chicken, sometimes they like fish. But it's
(12:35):
just whatever they wanted. I wanted their knight to be
their night, have a great time. It was my privilege.
It was my privilege to.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Buy well and I would imagine so and as a
rookie winning it. I'm sure they enjoyed the next year's meal.
Before I let you go, you mentioned your dream golf course,
so put my put your dream for them together on
that on that day that you're playing your last round
of golf, who is it?
Speaker 3 (13:00):
Well, you know, that's that's a pretty good question. I mean,
I enjoyed playing with all the guys.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
You only get I'm only I'm not off that easy.
I'm giving you get three dudes, and you could pick
the cad. You get three guys and.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
They have to be hold on, do they have to
be living?
Speaker 1 (13:19):
No? Give me, give me, give me both. Give me
three guys. Give me the other three.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
I'm going to have to put Arnold in there, probably
a guy like Chee Chi or a Trevino, just to
keep the air kind of chopped up, you know what
I mean? Yeah, those guys. No, those guys weren't absolutely
blast to play golf with. I mean there's always something
coming out that you didn't expect. Okay, that's usually coming
(13:47):
from one of those two.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Now I know Lee's, I know Lee's and Chee Chee.
You know, I mean Lee alive and we lost Arnold Palmer.
All right, give me give me the current through three guys,
guys that are living. And you can't include Lee Trevino
in it? You know, is Jack in it? Is? Is
Tiger in it? Give me your three guys or three
year buddies? You want to play it that we'd.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
Know, well, I mean that you would that you would know.
I need Scottie Sheffer's a gentleman. I will tell you that. Uh,
from on and off the golf course. Uh, let's see
who else?
Speaker 1 (14:21):
Could it be?
Speaker 3 (14:22):
Branda Chamblee as crazy as he is he is he
is a very very nice man.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
You'll get you'll get some opinion on stuff with Brandal
Chamblie on that round.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
That's for damn sure.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
But he.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Yeah, no doubt he's a good guy.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
Yeah. We used to we used to call Mike Donald
bats on tour, but uh, I think Brandal's taking it
to a whole new level.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
There you go, Okay, but one more name? Who's the
last one?
Speaker 3 (14:52):
I need one more?
Speaker 1 (14:53):
Huh ye?
Speaker 3 (14:54):
And it has to be has to be a living species.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Has to be a living I'll even give you an actor,
a singer, or another athlete and another sport or in
your sport, I'll give you. We'll give you the hall
pass one if there's some, but it's got to be
somebody that we can relate to.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
That we know who it is. So who be you?
Speaker 3 (15:11):
You can put the Golden Bear in there. I mean
I always enjoy playing with him too.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
He knows the course pretty well as well. So that'd
be a pretty couple of good couple of good foursomes
for you, Fuzzy. Yeah, so you don't miss it. You
kind of like the lifestyle now showing up once in
a while, and you don't miss will we ever see
you with the golf club in your hand playing again?
Will you ever just go play around of golf at
you at your club with the buddies.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
Uh? You know, I got to say, I don't think so,
only because I got us riders from my hands real bad,
and I have a hard time holding onto the golf club.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
Understandable.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
And you know, once once you start flinching, I guess
it's just a part of age that happens. But once
you start flinching at the ball, you'll flinch every time,
and that's just absolutely no fun.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
Oh.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
I don't mind flinching when I have a fishing rod
in my hand, I can actually get with it. But
when you're trying to make three or four footer or
trying to hit a drive and you can't hold on
to the club, it's hard to hit it accurately.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Well, you gave us plenty of thrills when you could
hold onto the club the way you wanted to. Two
time major winner, obviously, and almost a second at the
PGA and a third at the Open, but won the
US Opening eighty four Hall of Famer and obviously as
a rookie in sudden death against Tom Watson wins the
green jacket, and you'll be there this weekend watch them
crown a new champion or the previous champion from the
(16:30):
year before. Scottie Scheffler, Fuzzy. This is an honor for me.
Always a gentleman make golf a lot more fun to watch,
and you share his heck enhanced our show today. So
thanks for spending time with us, and I look forward
to doing it again, my friend.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
Thank you. You got and listen. I have a great
week next week.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Thank you all get count on it. We will and
you too. We appreciate you, sir, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
We'll do it.
Speaker 3 (16:51):
Thank you.
The Jean Salisbury Show continues.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
I've never been able to interview him, but I've always
wanted to, and we get him on today. Fuzzy Zeller
Masters winner with Augusta next week. I know they're finishing
up here at Valero Texas Open the next few days,
the final tune up before Augusta. Some have already tuned up,
ready to go. He's won the Masters. He's a uh guy, okay,
so he knows about the h town. He's also won
(00:26):
the in the US Open in nineteen eighty four, so
one of the toughest tests on a planet. Fuzzy Zeller
joins US now. Fuzzy, welcome in. It's sure great to
have you. Let me ask you this. You live in Indiana.
I know you spend time in Florida as well. How
much golf do you play now in your retirement from
the tour.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Ah, you know, it's funny you bring that up. I
haven't played golf in six years.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
You have not played golf, not even a fun round
with your buddies and having some of your vodka.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
No, I haven't. You know. My wife's got very, very sick,
and she was on our way south on me and
I just decided to give it up and spend more
time at the house with Hood for the last couple
of years, and I'm kind of glad I did it.
I'll be honest with you.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Do you watch as much a do you watch? You
still watch a lot and then watch the new age
golfer and watch the guys that you've played with on
tour and broadcast with. Do you still watch it the
same way?
Speaker 3 (01:21):
But now you know what? It's crazy? But I don't
watch golf. And the reason it is I can't. I
cannot relate to how far they hit the ball.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Right.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
No, I'm still back there. I'm still back there, dragging
along until two hundred and fifty y yard line, and uh,
these guys are popping out there three forty three fifty
and I have a hard time relating to.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
That fuzzy is it? Is it okay?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Just on the overall thought process, and I think we
all have a hard time relating. Yet one hundred and
sixty pounders are pumping it out there three hundred yards
and I know the equipment golfer's better your era are
now And is the equipment such a major advantage? You know?
We talk about it in pro sports too. Well, could
this NBA play in the previous NBA or NFL? So
(02:06):
because of equipment, has it made the game? As you said,
you don't watch it, but is it an advantage that
quite frankly, we don't get to see true and fair
ball striking because they're hitting eight irons into par fives.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Well, it's kind of strange and a little different. You know
what's bad about it with the link that these young
men are hitting the golf ball. It's all of our
little jewels in golf. The older golf courses are kind
of obsolete because they're too short, which is not of bad.
You know, you got to go play. These courses are
(02:38):
seventy five, seventy six hundred Micha. We're going to Augusta
next week. That golf course they have stretched out. I
don't know who's seventy six and they're with the hills
and everything. But they have to do it in order
to be competitive.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Now, you know, you don't watch it the course they're
about to go play at Augusta.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
You want to It was in seventy nine.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
I believe it was your rookie year, am I correct, Fuzzy,
It's wasn't it your rookie, your rookie time at Augusta,
your first trip to Augusta, Is that correct?
Speaker 3 (03:10):
That was my first time ever. Yes, driving down Monday
morning Magnolia Lane was my mother and dad in the
front seat, only because my wife was home and couldn't
travel because she was pregnant with our first child. So, okay,
that we had We had a We had a lot
of first I had a first kid coming on the keepers. Oh,
(03:31):
the first time my mother and dad ever been there.
We had a great we had a great week.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Yeah, I guess I guess you did, because it's tough
on rookies to go there and win. Let alae a veterans.
So in seventy nine when you drove down Magnolia Lane
and you were thinking, Okay, I'm here, and you know that,
I'm sure you had the chills, like we all your
first trip to Fenway Park or whatever it is, it
gives you that that venue, you're waltzing into that venue.
Did you think you legitimately had a chance to win
(03:56):
at that golf course as a rookie?
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Well, about the only thing I could tell you, because
I didn't know anything about the golf course, just from
what I had seen on TV, and trust the TV
does not do that golf course justice. You don't really
see the slope of the greens, and I see you're
not picking up the hills and the valleys that you
got to play through. It's it. It was different, entirely
(04:23):
different than what I was expecting. But now I was
playing well when I went there, and I just I
just had a very good week of golf. I had
great pairings to play with, and I just I enjoyed
the whole week.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Fuzzy Zeller, two time major winner US Open and the
Masters and one of the Hall of Fame golfer joins
us here on Sports Talk seven ninety Sean Salisbury Show.
And you mentioned pairings, and we'll get to the course
as well, but pairings, you you know, whistled while you
worked and had fun and almost looked. And I mean
this as a compliment because I always say quarterbacks that
(04:58):
look bored kind of they play, but it's like the poise,
it's just nothing's bothering them. That was one of your
calling cards. So as a rookie, was it being naive
to the golf course because of all the undulation that
we don't see on TV. Was it any advantage that
day because you're really like, well, what, I'm just gonna
let it rip, man. I got good pairings. It was cool.
Nobody expects me to win. I'm young, I know nothing
(05:19):
about the golf course, so I'm gonna try to hit
it in the right spot and go make a few pets.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Is that kind of the way you had to approach it?
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Well, the way I approached that, I was riding my
caddies back, Jerry Beard. Jeriah was outstanding because I didn't
know anything about the golf course. I was, you know,
played what nine holes on a Monday eighteen on Tuesday Wednesday,
and then I got paired with Trevino on the first day,
so I was still learning as I was going. But
(05:49):
I was listening to Jerry, and like I say, I
was able to hit.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
The golf ball where Jerry.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Told me to, and I was very fortunate for that.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
What's your favorite hole there at Augusta?
Speaker 3 (06:02):
All of them? All of them. I can't say there's
one hole that stands out over any other. It's all
I can tell people. If they're going there for the
first time and they walked down the tenth hole, just
remember look back because you got to walk back up
you make the turn. Once you make that turn at thirteen,
(06:25):
it's all uphill from there, so it's an entirely different deal.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
What was that?
Speaker 2 (06:29):
What was your lead going in? Where were you when
you're standing on Do you remember on the Sunday? I
can't remember who you were playing against in the final
I mean who was your partner in the final round?
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Who was in the last one?
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Tom Watson and I played the final round together, and
we were chasing, chasing ed speed. Okay, so that Steed
had had the lead going into the final round, okay,
and then he bow you the last three holes, which
gave Tom Watson and I the I guess the opportunity
that we were looking for because the door opened, and
(07:02):
as we say on tour, if you open the door
a little bit, there's three or four guys that are
going to step their feet in.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
When you and Tom got to eighteen, what was the
what was the lead? Or was who was in the
lead at eighteen? When you stood at eighteen? That pretty
decent part four.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Well, it still had a two shot lead coming into seventeen.
When Tom and I ted off eighteen, we were well,
we were still two shots back.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Yeah, because he was in the final group playing behind
you obviously, right, yep, right, and.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
So well, I had a hard enough. I had a
hard enough time finding my golf ball, much less worry
about where his. Well we got we got in, and
we were standing there in the scoring tent, which used
to be right behind the eighteenth green when well, when edge,
I guess mister short put at seventeen and again on
(07:56):
eighteen for a bogie and put. Tom and I ended
the playoffs. It was the first sudden death playoff they'd
ever had.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
And so when you went to that sudden death playoff
standing on the t box, you're a rookie and you
got you know, you're standing next to Tom Watson's pretty
good hisself. Do you remember your emotions that day?
Speaker 3 (08:15):
Oh? I really didn't have any because I, you know,
like I said, I was hitting the ball well, and
when you're swinging well, there's really not much you think about.
You don't think about rhythm, you don't think about anything.
You just kind of let it happen. And that's what
I did. I drove it very accurate on ten, and
then I hit a bomb on eleven, in which I
(08:37):
don't know where it came from. But it was like
I had some extra little poof behind the ball and
it went down there. Well, I had an eight iron
into my hands and I hadn't even come close to
hitting an eight under that hole, So I don't know.
It was a lot of good things happening that day.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Well, I guess so. And Crown Masters Champion in seventy nine.
Then obviously you opening eighty four among a bunch of
Hall of Fame wins along the way, Fuzzy Zeller for
a few more minutes here on the Sewn Salisbury Show,
won the Masters as a rookie sudden death against Tom
Watson in overtime and sudden death in nineteen seventy nine.
All right, Fuzzy, who you don't watch it much? We
(09:17):
know the shufflers and the rest of them. Let me
ask you this. If you had one golf course to
play the rest of your life, if you started playing again,
can you name two or three that you say that's
the only one I'd play the rest of my life.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
If I was pinned down, which one would it be?
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Well, I just please put this with. A doctor came
to me said I got twenty four hours he'd go
play eighteen more holes. I'd go to Augusta one more time,
one more time, just something. There's something magical and special
about Augusta National. Now. Is it the best golf course
in the world. I can't say that. All I can
(09:51):
tell you is it's a damn good woman. Thinking about
when they built that golf course. In the equipment they
had to use, you know, it's not like what they
have nowadays. I mean they can move earth, they can
move mountains nowadays. Well, they didn't have that equipment back
then when this golf course was cut out into the
hills of beautiful Georgia. And I got to tell you
(10:13):
it is absolutely spectacular.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Was Augusta on the four majors?
Speaker 2 (10:20):
From the Open, the US Open, the Gusta and the PGA.
Was even though you said Augusta be the course you
played when you started playing professional golf. Was I mean,
you want to win them all? But was there one
that you said that's the top or the toughest one
to win? Which are the four majors? Would you have
wanted to win if they only allowed you to win one?
Is it Augusta would have been somewhere else?
Speaker 3 (10:43):
No, that the green jacket is magical, that's all I
can tell you. It's hard to put into words what
that green jacket means, especially two people who have really
no idea, but it is a magical thing. Now, the
hardest one, the hard US one to win as the
US opened or because of the traditions that we play under.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
Are you going to be at Augusta this week coming up?
Speaker 3 (11:09):
No, I'm not till Sunday morning, So you'll go and
think there's any reason, no reason to rush in there, right?
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Yeah? Absolutely? What was your what was your champions dinner?
It's fuzzy? What was your fuzzy? Zeller joined us for
a couple more minutes. What was your champions dinner the
next year? What did you have on the menu?
Speaker 3 (11:28):
Well, you know what they do it a little differently
now than when when I was there, But you know
I had Jeens service, and I had Claude Harmon, oh god,
Byron Nelson. I had all the older guys. Yeah, you
think about it. Those guys all like some like steak,
some like fish, some like their chicken. So I just
(11:48):
had an open menu to.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
Them whatever they wanted.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
That's what they could get. Oh that's nice y, Yeah,
it was open now they bring in the special cheft.
Uh I guess cooked the specialties that the guys won,
so it's a little different. I use the chefs there
(12:12):
on on as they say at Augusta, and they did
a tremendous job. I didn't hear any complaints. But you know,
with Arnold and Jack and uh Gary h they all
eat different things. I mean it's crazy. Sometimes they want salad,
sometimes they want chicken, sometimes they like fish. But it's
(12:35):
just whatever they wanted. I wanted their knight to be
their night, have a great time. It was my privilege.
It was my privilege to.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Buy well and I would imagine so and as a
rookie winning it. I'm sure they enjoyed the next year's meal.
Before I let you go, you mentioned your dream golf course,
so put my put your dream for them together on
that on that day that you're playing your last round
of golf, who is it?
Speaker 3 (13:00):
Well, you know, that's that's a pretty good question. I mean,
I enjoyed playing with all the guys.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
You only get I'm only I'm not off that easy.
I'm giving you get three dudes, and you could pick
the cad. You get three guys and.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
They have to be hold on, do they have to
be living?
Speaker 1 (13:19):
No? Give me, give me, give me both. Give me
three guys. Give me the other three.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
I'm going to have to put Arnold in there, probably
a guy like Chee Chi or a Trevino, just to
keep the air kind of chopped up, you know what
I mean? Yeah, those guys. No, those guys weren't absolutely
blast to play golf with. I mean there's always something
coming out that you didn't expect. Okay, that's usually coming
(13:47):
from one of those two.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Now I know Lee's, I know Lee's and Chee Chee.
You know, I mean Lee alive and we lost Arnold Palmer.
All right, give me give me the current through three guys,
guys that are living. And you can't include Lee Trevino
in it? You know, is Jack in it? Is? Is
Tiger in it? Give me your three guys or three
year buddies? You want to play it that we'd.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
Know, well, I mean that you would that you would know.
I need Scottie Sheffer's a gentleman. I will tell you that. Uh,
from on and off the golf course. Uh, let's see
who else?
Speaker 1 (14:21):
Could it be?
Speaker 3 (14:22):
Branda Chamblee as crazy as he is he is he
is a very very nice man.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
You'll get you'll get some opinion on stuff with Brandal
Chamblie on that round.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
That's for damn sure.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
But he.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Yeah, no doubt he's a good guy.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
Yeah. We used to we used to call Mike Donald
bats on tour, but uh, I think Brandal's taking it
to a whole new level.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
There you go, Okay, but one more name? Who's the
last one?
Speaker 3 (14:52):
I need one more?
Speaker 1 (14:53):
Huh ye?
Speaker 3 (14:54):
And it has to be has to be a living species.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Has to be a living I'll even give you an actor,
a singer, or another athlete and another sport or in
your sport, I'll give you. We'll give you the hall
pass one if there's some, but it's got to be
somebody that we can relate to.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
That we know who it is. So who be you?
Speaker 3 (15:11):
You can put the Golden Bear in there. I mean
I always enjoy playing with him too.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
He knows the course pretty well as well. So that'd
be a pretty couple of good couple of good foursomes
for you, Fuzzy. Yeah, so you don't miss it. You
kind of like the lifestyle now showing up once in
a while, and you don't miss will we ever see
you with the golf club in your hand playing again?
Will you ever just go play around of golf at
you at your club with the buddies.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
Uh? You know, I got to say, I don't think so,
only because I got us riders from my hands real bad,
and I have a hard time holding onto the golf club.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
Understandable.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
And you know, once once you start flinching, I guess
it's just a part of age that happens. But once
you start flinching at the ball, you'll flinch every time,
and that's just absolutely no fun.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
Oh.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
I don't mind flinching when I have a fishing rod
in my hand, I can actually get with it. But
when you're trying to make three or four footer or
trying to hit a drive and you can't hold on
to the club, it's hard to hit it accurately.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Well, you gave us plenty of thrills when you could
hold onto the club the way you wanted to. Two
time major winner, obviously, and almost a second at the
PGA and a third at the Open, but won the
US Opening eighty four Hall of Famer and obviously as
a rookie in sudden death against Tom Watson wins the
green jacket, and you'll be there this weekend watch them
crown a new champion or the previous champion from the
(16:30):
year before. Scottie Scheffler, Fuzzy. This is an honor for me.
Always a gentleman make golf a lot more fun to watch,
and you share his heck enhanced our show today. So
thanks for spending time with us, and I look forward
to doing it again, my friend.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
Thank you. You got and listen. I have a great
week next week.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Thank you all get count on it. We will and
you too. We appreciate you, sir, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
We'll do it.
Speaker 3 (16:51):
Thank you.
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