It has been reported that Augusta National caddy Jariah Beard, who carried Fuzzy Zoeller’s bag to victory when he won the Masters in 1979, passed away four days ago. As a result of Beard’s contributions to the golf scene, he will be remembered by a large number of people.
Golf Digest received an email confirming Beard’s death from his son, Eric Beard. The importance of his father to golf was emphasized by Eric, as he said that he ‘brought so much to golf’ “My father was an amazing man, and brought so much to golf”.
– his son wrote in an email. Fuzzy Zoeller talked about how much Jariah Beard meant to him and how much he respected him. There is no doubt that the success of Zoeller would not have been possible without the tremendous support and assistance of his caddy.
“He called all the shots,” Zoeller told Golfweek. “He led me around like I was a blind man. Before I even got to the green, he’d tell me how the putts were breaking. He was a huge plus. Jariah was a very special person not only to me but to his family and so many people.
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Jariah Beard: I could call you every shot
About 20 years ago, in an interview with Golf Digest, Beard talked about the Masters and fond memories from those days. As Beard reflected on what he and Zoeller had done, he was filled with mixed emotions, as just remembering it brought back many memories.
“We knew that golf course, and we loved what we were doing,” Beard told Golf Digest. “I could call you every shot my man ever had in the Masters. Those were the best moments of our lives. Just as memories of caddieing in the Masters grow fonder, the wound from being left behind only deepens”.
