Golfer Ed Fiori, who famously came back from a 54-hole deficit to beat Tiger Woods on the PGA TOUR, has died at the age of 72 following a battle with cancer, according to a post shared on the PGA Tour's official website Sunday (July 6).
No additional details regarding Fiori's death were revealed as of Monday (July 7). Fiori was a four-time PGA TOUR winner, which included his signature victory at the 1996 Quad City Classic, now the John Deere Classic, where he defeated a then-20-year-old Tiger Woods in the final round after entering one stroke behind, the only tournament in which Woods didn't win after entering Sunday as the leader.
“Ed Fiori was a true gentleman in our sport, and is a player who would often be referred to as a pro’s pro," said PGA TOUR Champions President Miller Brady via PGA. "In three of his four wins on the PGA TOUR, he dueled down the stretch with future World Golf Hall of Fame members, most notably Tiger Woods in 1996. That grit and resolution in the face of immeasurable odds is incredibly admirable in every aspect of life, and I know he battled cancer with that same determination until the end. He will be missed by all of us at the TOUR.”
Fiori also beat Hall of Famers Tom Weiskopf at the 1979 Southern Open and Tom Kite at the 1982 Bob Hope Classic during two of his other three PGA Tour wins.