A surge of energy swept through golf in 1997, and much of it was centered around a young champion whose performance reshaped expectations overnight.

Amid the excitement, a separate moment lingered in the background, one that would gain more attention than anyone expected. Fuzzy Zoeller made racially insensitive comments about Tiger Woods during a CNN interview after Woods’ dominant 1997 Masters victory.

Zoeller suggested Woods be told not to serve fried chicken or collard greens at the upcoming year’s champions dinner. “That little boy is driving well and putting well and doing everything it takes to win. So you know what you guys do? Pat him on the back say congratulations and tell him not to serve fried chicken next year,” Zoeller had said.

The reason this became so controversial is that fried chicken had become a racial stereotype in the US. They used it to refer to African Americans because it was a staple part of their diet during the days before the abolition of slavery.

Tiger Woods is a man of color, and he was participating in an event that didn’t invite any black men until the year he was born. The first black man to play at Augusta National was Lee Elder, who qualified after winning the 1974 Monsanto Open. And 21-year-old Tiger Woods was out there playing at an event that made him a household name.

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Fuzzy Zoeller publicly apologized and said that he was just joking and didn’t mean to offend Tiger Woods or make any racial comments. “I am a fun-loving person. I make joke, cut jokes all the time. My apologies if somebody interpreted that into a racial remark. I meant nothing by that,” Zoeller said.

He even went on to clarify why he mentioned advising Woods not to serve fried chicken. It’s a tradition for the Masters winner to select the menu and host the annual champion’s dinner. The year Zoeller himself won, he wanted to serve Lancasters to others. When Nick Faldo won in 1996, he served fish and chips and haggis. Zoeller clarified that he has a habit to joke about what’s going to be served at the champion’s dinner, and that’s what it was all about.

While Zoeller made an apology to Tiger Woods and the public, the damage was already done. The immediate aftermath of this was that Kmart dropped Zoeller as its golf spokesman days later. The reason that was cited was his comments, which Kmart said were contrary to their policies.

Zoeller also withdrew from the Greater Greensboro Classic, tearfully stating he needed to “make things right with Tiger first” before competing. He insisted people misunderstood his joke and consulted PGA Tour figures like Davis Love III, who described him as a harmless ‘big kidder.’

Tiger Woods had forgiven Fuzzy Zoeller. Tiger Woods issued a prepared statement on April 24, 1997, accepting Fuzzy Zoeller’s apology for the racially insensitive Masters comments. He described Zoeller as a “jokester” who likely intended no harm. Woods noted the remarks were hurtful but emphasized forgiveness, stating he believed Zoeller’s regret was genuine after multiple apologies. This response came after two weeks of silence while Woods traveled, amid escalating media scrutiny.

They even had a face-to-face meeting in the form of lunch on May 21, 1997, at Colonial Country Club before the MasterCard Colonial tournament. It was their first encounter since the incident. Woods described the conversation as pleasant, saying he learned what he needed and considered the matter “in the past,” expressing hope it could benefit golf. Zoeller expressed relief, reiterating no malice and noting the lost Kmart endorsement as punishment enough.

The two then played together at the 1998 Masters. And it was at this time that the tension between the two really cleared out.

Tiger Woods broke the ice at the 1998 Masters

For the 1998 Masters group, officials paired Tiger Woods with Fuzzy Zoeller and Colin Montgomerie. Cayce Kerr, who was caddying for Zoeller at the event, said that there was a ‘tiny bit of tension’ at the beginning of the first round. All three were trying too hard, and there was very little chit-chat going on.

On the par-3 sixth hole, Tiger Woods took the initiative to break the ice. “As the three pros were walking off the tee, Tiger said: ‘Let’s all walk off the greens with twos,’” said Kerr. This made everyone feel at ease. To make things even better, all three finished the hole with a birdie and had a little chuckle.

The three then exchanged a quick handshake and compliments on shots without reported tension. Woods later told reporters he was fine with it, had no problems at all, and affirmed, “Fuzzy and I buried it a long time ago.”

The episode that began with a thoughtless comment ended up reshaping public perception of Fuzzy Zoeller. Even though Tiger Woods chose forgiveness early on, the moment stayed attached to Zoeller’s legacy.