At the 1996 Quad City Classic (John Deere Classic), Tiger Woods was playing his third PGA TOUR event as a professional. Ed Fiori had made over 500 starts on TOUR. Woods was 20, Fiori 43. The 1996 season had not gone well for Fiori, who, by then, was in his 19th year as a TOUR pro.

Nicknamed The Grip for his unusually strong grip, Ed Fiori delayed Tiger Woods from earning his first PGA Tour title at the 1996 Quad Cities Open.

PGA Tour pro Ed Fiori, who famously outdueled Tiger Woods in 1996 at the John Deere Classic, passed away at the age of 72, leaving the golf world in mourning.