Legendary CBS announcer Verne Lundquist will call his final Masters this week and ride off into the sunset after one of the most impressive careers in the sports broadcasting industry. Lundquist has seen, done, and called it all from football to basketball to golf and many other high profile events in between.
Verne Lundquist is also unique in the annals of sports broadcasting as having one of the most impressive collections of signature calls of any announcer on record. He has called everything from Christian Laettner’s miracle shot against Kentucky in 1992 to Auburn’s Kick Six, to arguably the two most famous shots in Masters history – Jack Nicklaus’ birdie putt on 17 that led to his remarkable victory in the 1986 Masters and Tiger Woods’ chip-in on the 16th hole during the 2005 Masters.
In an interview with Rich Lerner of the Golf Channel, Lundquist reflected on his career and called those two Masters moments the “1 and 1A” of his illustrious career.
Before his final weekend calling The Masters, broadcast legend Verne Lundquist reflects on the best calls of his storied career. #TheMasters pic.twitter.com/jcbmI8MZBp
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) April 11, 2024
“It’s 1 and 1A… I give slight deference to the older guy [Nicklaus] because he’s six months older than I am and I will never let him forget that,” Lundquist said. “They’re interchangeable. To have been blessed to have had those two calls at this wonderful event is a blessing beyond measure.”
Those sentiments echo what Lundquist had said during a CBS conference call this week. During that media availability, Lundquist and broadcast partner Jim Nantz spoke about how emotional it will be for the man affectionately known as “Uncle Verne” to be in the 16th tower one last time. Let’s hope there is one more magical moment in the 2024 Masters that could give Lundquist one last iconic announcing call.
