Jim Nantz was on the call this week for the RBC Canadian Open in Toronto.
Nantz’s presence certainly helps elevate the average PGA Tour event, but this week the event itself was certainly up to the occasion as well thanks to a variety of factors.
Chief among them: Canadian Nick Taylor, who was seeking both his third win AND to become the first Canadian to win the Canadian Open since 1954. That history was on the minds of everyone in attendance, and the hometown crowd was firmly in Taylor’s corner all day.
That atmosphere led to an electric scene throughout a lengthy sudden-death playoff between Taylor and Tommy Fleetwood, with Taylor facing a 72-foot putt for eagle and a win on the fourth playoff hole. Here’s how it looked and sounded on CBS:
"Glorious and free!"
Jim Nantz with a fantastic call as Canadian Nick Taylor holes an impossible eagle putt on the fourth playoff hole to become the first Canadian to win the Canadian Open since 1954. pic.twitter.com/Sbo56pnJHO
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 11, 2023
All credit to Jim Nantz here, too. His energy absolutely matched the moment; this wasn’t laid-back, Saturday afternoon at Pebble Beach Nantz. He was clearly fired up, delivering an incredulous call of “Glorious and free!” (a nod to the Canadian national anthem, if you aren’t aware.)
In many other scenarios that might have been over the top, but as the culmination of a long night of (surprisingly thrilling) golf drama, it was a perfect call at the perfect time.
[Photo and video credit: CBS]
