Hold the collard greens; Tiger orders burgers
and fries
By RON SIRAK / AP Golf Writer
Fuzzy Zoeller can rest easy. Tiger Woods won't be serving fried
chicken and collard greens at the Masters champions dinner.
Woods' menu, the subject of racial jokes by Zoeller after last
year's tournament, includes cheeseburgers, french fries, grilled
chicken sandwiches and strawberry and vanilla milkshakes, sources
familiar with the plans told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The previous year's winner picks the menu for the champion's
dinner. Zoeller, who won the Masters in 1979, will be at the dinner.
Last April, Zoeller reacted to Woods, who was closing in on
his record 12-stroke victory at Augusta National, by making several
racial references to Woods, whose father is black and mother is
from Thailand.
"That little boy is driving well and he's putting well,"
Zoeller said. "He's doing everything it takes to win. So,
you know what you guys do when he gets in here? You pat him on
the back and say congratulations and enjoy it and tell him not
to serve fried chicken next year. Got it?"
Then, as he was walking away, Zoeller snapped his fingers and
added, "Or collard greens or whatever the hell they serve."
Zoeller, who insisted he was joking, apologized and several
days later Woods accepted the apology. The matter was stirred
up again the following week when Zoeller engaged in a similar
kind of joking banter with Victor McBryde, a black corporate executive.
Zoeller lost major endorsement deals with K-mart and Dunlop
because of the controversy but has since lined up contracts with
Daiwa clubs, Sport-Haley clothing and Ocean Breeze sunglasses.
Woods and Zoeller finally met face-to-face in May at the Colonial
tournament in Fort Worth, Texas.
"Fuzzy and I had a nice lunch and a nice conversation
and I found out some things I needed to know," Woods said.
"Now I understand where he was coming from."
Still, it was clear that Woods was not convinced it was a joking
matter.
"I have a problem with anyone saying it in that tone,"
Woods said, referring particularly to the "whatever the hell
they serve" remark.
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