Patrick Reusse: Zoeller's place in golf is secure

This was a gorgeous summer day in Minnesota and Fuzzy Zoeller was playing the seventh hole at TPC Twin Cities. It's a short par-4, and with a helping wind several of the Champions Tour golfers were trying to drive the green.

Zoeller had laid back and flipped a wedge to the surface. He was walking around for a look at the putt when a ball appeared very close to him.

It was a surprise for Zoeller to see a tee shot that close, both as a violation of the game's etiquette and because this blast came from Tony Jacklin, a participant in the Greats of Golf exhibition that's part of the 3M Championship.

Zoeller waved his putter in a "come-on-up" gesture toward Jacklin. Later, as Fuzzy was signing for his 4-under 68, he saw Jacklin and said:

"Tony, what are you hitting? You're bombing it."

Jacklin shook his head and said: "I felt terrible about that, Fuzz. I didn't expect the ball to end up there."

Zoeller's wave on the seventh green drew a laugh from his gallery, although as gestures go for Fuzzy, this one didn't quite equal waving the towel at Winged Foot.

The closing holes on Sunday at Winged Foot became a contest between Norman and Zoeller, playing in the pairing behind him.

Norman rolled in a 35-foot putt on the 18th green. Zoeller was in the fairway and thought Norman had made a birdie. Fuzzy took a white towel from his bag and waved it toward the Shark in surrender.

Turned out, the putt was for par, Zoeller wound up tied with Norman, and there would be an 18-hole Monday playoff. Fuzzy made a 68-foot birdie putt on the second green and beat the Shark like a drum 67-75.

That was 25 years ago. Fuzzy was 32 and had a second major title to go with his 1979 Masters. He had four other victories in regular events. He was long. He rolled the ball splendidly.

Golf fans could see a career with another dozen victories, including a couple of majors.

He's 57 now, and you could say the talent exceeded the track record, or you could say that it's amazing Zoeller has played this much quality golf through the decades considering the never-ending back problems.

Fuzzy's 68 on Saturday put him at 6 under and tied for eighth entering today's final round. It also ended a streak of 13 rounds in the 70s -- and constant 70s make a player an also-ran on the Champions Tour.

"Today was pretty good for me," he said. "Actually, I played pretty good yesterday, except for the triple on No. 4."

How did you make a triple bogey? "I hit some crappy shots," he said. "I'm not going to lie. I hit bad shots."

Zoeller started this year by winning $265,000 in the Wendy's Skins Game in Hawaii. He and partner John Jacobs tied for ninth in the Liberty team event.

There was the back nine on Friday of the Masters. It had been 30 years since Fuzzy won at Augusta National as a rookie, and he had announced this would be his last competitive Masters.

He was out of contention to make the cut, yet made birdies on Nos. 12, 13 and 16. His daughter Gretchen, the caddie, started crying as they walked up the 18th.

Then, the gallery started a rousing rendition of "Fuz-ee, Fuz-ee" and he started crying.

"Next to making that putt to win the tournament [in 1979], it was the best," Zoeller said of that nostalgic trip to National's 18th green.

And now Zoeller's among us, in the top 10 at the 3M -- and with that relentless balky back, you never know when it could be the last time.