72-year-old Craig Stadler has spent a lifetime around golf’s biggest stages and strongest personalities. The 13-time PGA Tour champion has shared locker rooms, leaderboards, and long conversations with champions across generations. It's no surprise that a fellow Tour champ's passing cut deep.

During a SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio segment, Craig opened up about a friend, Frank Urban "Fuzzy" Zoeller Jr., a two-time major champion, who passed away on November 27, 2025, at the age of 74. Stadler recalled how Fuzzy made playing golf endearing. 

“If you walk by and you guys had a conversation, you’d be looking each other in the eye the whole way. The whole time.” Stadler said. The 72-year-old said that, despite years of shared history, many players were always scanning the room, half-present, waiting for the next interruption. Zoeller, he said, was never like that.

“He was never one of those,” the former PGA Tour champion added. “He was just a wonderful guy. Love to talk, for sure. But I thoroughly enjoyed his companionship, his friendship.”

Stadler also spoke about Zoeller’s golf, too, about the moments that placed him in the game’s history: How he won the 1979 Masters in his first appearance at the Augusta National, the win that only two other players have ever had. How he defeated Greg Norman during the 1984 U.S. Open. “I enjoyed his golf,” Stadler said. 

Stadler isn’t alone with the feeling of missing a friend, a colleague, and a fellow golfer.

USGA CEO Mike Whan on Fuzzy Zoeller

The New Albay native earned the 'Fuzzy' nickname because of his initials, and it's a testament to the fact that the golfing world adored Zoeller.

USGA CEO Mike Whan shares the same feeling about the late PGA Tour veteran. “Fuzzy was one of a kind. We are grateful for all he gave to golf. I hope we can all remember his unmistakable joy,” Whan said in an official statement.

Beyond the trophies, Fuzzy was known for his warmth, humor, and ability to disarm the tense edges of competition. 

Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi