Ed Fiori, a fixture of the professional golf world for decades, died Sunday at age 66. He was 72 years old and had waged a brutal and superhuman struggle against cancer. In 1996, Fiori shot to notoriety by becoming the only player to ever come back from a 54 hole deficit to beat Tiger Woods on the PGA Tour. This amazing accomplishment went unsurpassed for 13 years.
Fiori’s landmark win came at the Quad City Classic—since renamed the John Deere Classic. During that tournament, he pounced on Woods’ misfortunes. Most remarkably, Woods carded a quadruple bogey on the fourth hole and made a four-putt double bogey on the seventh hole. This was one of the biggest wins in Fiori’s career, which featured four other wins on the PGA Tour.
Despite the success of his work, Fiori experienced serious obstacles during his career—including after having spinal fusion surgery in 2005. After the surgery, he knew he could never quite get back into his old groove and it became a challenge just to shoot under 80 regularly. Despite these setbacks, he continued to pursue his passion for golf, playing 58 times on the senior circuit after turning 50.
In his later years, Fiori remained deeply involved in the sport. Most recently, he finished in a fifth tie, carding a 72 to finish four strokes back from the tournament victor. Through his resilience and love for the game, Rubel seemed at peace as he looked back on his time in the game with pride.
“Don’t feel sorry for me, though. I’ve had a great life in a game I love. It was never easy. Lots of times, I was on that flight heading home on Friday nights,” – Ed Fiori
Besides his memorable victory over Woods, Fiori scored historic wins against other golf hall-of-famers. He outlasted Tom Weiskopf in a booming playoff at the 1979 Southern Open. A few weeks later, he beat out Tom Kite at the 1982 Bob Hope Classic.
Fiori’s accomplishments, especially in football’s early days, powerfully resonated with his fans and fellow players. He would later lean into his legacy as a “Tiger killer” basking in the glow of victories past.
“But I would not trade it for anything. Even today, people call me the Tiger killer. They don’t always get their facts straight, but I don’t mind. I’ll never forget that weekend at the John Deere,” – Ed Fiori
Even when he was dealt the toughest of hands at every turn, Fiori didn’t lose his passion for the game. For the next four years he battled to remain relevant in the high competition scene. Deep down he understood that his back problems were an ever-present nightmare.
“I hung on for a few more years and played for a while on the senior tour, but my back was always a problem,” – Ed Fiori
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