(NEXSTAR) - The golf community is preparing to honor the late Fuzzy Zoeller during the 2026 Masters tournament following his death in November. Zoeller remains the most recent golfer to win the green jacket during a tournament debut, a feat he accomplished in 1979. Zoeller, a two-time major champion, became a beloved figure at the course over three decades of play. This year's event marks the 90th edition of the Masters and will feature a new field of debutants attempting to match Zoeller's historic first-start victory. Zoeller, whose legal name was Frank Urban Zoeller Jr., participated in 31 Masters tournaments throughout his career. His 1979 victory occurred in a three-man playoff against Ed Sneed and Tom Watson. Zoeller secured the win on the second playoff hole. Gary Player, a three-time Masters champion, presented Zoeller with his green jacket. Beyond his debut win, Zoeller won 10 PGA Tour events, including the 1984 U.S. Open, which he won in a playoff against Greg Norman. This year's Masters will feature several players making their debut at the 90th Masters in 2026. Jacob Bridgeman and Chris Gotterup are among the first-time competitors. Bridgeman recently won at the Genesis Invitational, while Gotterup is ranked in the top 10 globally with two wins in 2026. All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by Nexstar. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by Nexstar staff before being published