Fuzzy Zoeller walks off the 18th green as Gretchen, his daughter and caddie, wipes away tears after Zoeller played his last round at the Masters Friday.

AUGUSTA, Ga. The Masters lost a legend Friday. And a legendary entertainer.

Both Gary Player and Fuzzy Zoeller drew standing ovations as they walked up the 18th fairway at Augusta National for the final time in competition.

"The greatest thrill I've ever had in my life," Zoeller said of the outpouring.

Player drew raucous cheers at all 36 greens he visited Thursday and Friday.

"The greatest word that exists in any dictionary is love," Player said. "And I received it. I'll never forget it as long as I live."

No man has competed in more Masters tournaments than Player with 52. The three-time champion exits with memories of greeting President Dwight D. Eisenhower, dueling Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer and welcoming Lee Elder, the first African-American to compete here.

"I'd like to think I've played with tenacity," said Player, who shot 78-83. "I've tried to behave well. I've made a lot of friends."

Warm and Fuzzy: Zoeller, the Indiana native with the tobacco-infused voice, served as a model for how players should treat members of the gallery.

"I like to see people smile," he said after shooting 79-76. "I'm miserable enough having to chase my ugly golf shots. You see them smile and maybe the next day they have two or three more people with them."

Zoeller's Masters legacy, of course, includes more than his 1979 victory as a first-time competitor. Zoeller told the famously insensitive joke in 1997 about Tiger Woods requesting "fried chicken ... or collard greens or whatever the hell they serve" at the Champions Dinner.

"Life is not a bowl full of cherries," Zoeller said. "There's good and bad stuff. I just hope everybody has had fun because I've enjoyed my ride."

The tour's Forrest Gump: Luke Donald played with Jack Nicklaus during Nicklaus' final round at St. Andrews in 2005. On Friday, he accompanied Player.

"I'm not sure why I keep getting picked," he said. "Maybe I'm the nice guy."

Donald enjoyed the experience even though he had to grind out a par on 18 to ensure he would make the cut. He did at even par with one stroke to spare.

"It was pretty special to see all the people cheering Gary on," he said. "I'm wondering who's next. (Tom) Watson, maybe?"