Golf: Zoeller makes his peace with Tiger

Tiger Woods and Fuzzy Zoeller held their long-awaited meeting at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth yesterday and both golfers said they hoped they could at last put their Masters controversy behind them.

Zoeller was criticised for his remarks at the conclusion of last month's Masters about what the record-breaking winner Woods might decide to have served at next year's champions' dinner.

Zoeller had already publicly apologised for his clumsy stab at humour, but yesterday's 20-minute lunch in the players dining room was their first face-to-face meeting, one that Woods had said he was looking forward to.

"We had a nice lunch and a nice conversation. I let him know how I feel and heard what he was thinking and now it's behind us," Woods said. "Now I understand the entire situation and hope we can both have a good week this week."

Zoeller who had described his life as "total hell'' since the incident, did not appear at yesterday's news conference, but said he was glad to have the meeting behind him.

"Everything went good and positive. We're looking straight ahead and moving on from here," he said. "I just hope something positive comes from this."

Zoeller said he had briefly considered retiring, but decided to come to Fort Worth and face Woods before this week's $1.6m (pounds 1m) Colonial PGA tournament.

Woods will be going for his third successive win this week at the Colonial and his seventh professional victory worldwide, and sixth on the PGA Tour, since leaving the amateur ranks. "My goal is always to get better and that's what I hope to do this week," Woods said.