Tag: Verne Lundquist

Who will follow Verne Lundquist on No. 16 at the Masters? He’s asking the new CBS Sports bosses

Who will now man the booth on Redbud, the often-pivotal par 3, once Lundquist packs up for good on Sunday?

Verne Lundquist is soaking up every moment as he makes his final appearance as a member of the CBS Sports broadcast team at the 2024 Masters.

With his wife Nancy by his side, Lundquist has been spending time with Augusta National Golf Club members who have become friends. He’s also been reminiscing with Sean McManus, the longtime CBS Sports chairman, who will depart when Lundquist does.

“It’s time. I’m not a spring chicken anymore. And my boss and I talked about it a couple of years ago. By the way, he is retiring at the same time,” Lundquist said during a recent fundraiser in Austin, Texas, for Ben Crenshaw’s Save Muny project.

“It’s emotional. I’m not going to deny that. We’ve gotten close to a lot of the members now and this is a very emotional week for us.”

Lundquist started on the Masters broadcasts in 1984 and has made the 16th hole his home since 2000. His legendary calls have been the stuff legends are made of.

“He’s just the voice,” said good friend and colleague Jim Nantz of Lundquist. “His calls are truly legendary. … Augusta’s a place that I feel like kind of comes to life every April. It’s not just because it’s a gathering of the greatest players in the world and there’s a golf competition, but it’s a week where history, where voices, they come back. We hear them again. We still kind of feel and have front of mind the legends of yesteryear. The Gene Sarazens, they make an earthly visit every year in April. Byron (Nelson), Ben (Hogan), Sam (Snead), of course Arnold (Palmer), there’s one week a year where they come back in our lives, back on our planet.”

But since nothing lasts forever, the question left after this year’s event is who will now man the booth on Redbud, the often-pivotal par 3, once Lundquist packs up for good on Sunday.

The veteran of 40 years insists he doesn’t know, either, but he’s vowed to find out before he vacates.

“I can’t wait to ask the people who are succeeding my boss, who are you going to put a 16?” he said. “I honestly don’t know. I’ve got a couple of pretty good ideas though.”

As for the hike up to the famous tower, whoever does succeed Lundquist will have fewer obstacles to making the calls.

“The climb up the tower. It’s easier now than it used to be, that’s for sure,” he said. “They used to go straight up. Thank god they don’t any longer.”

From Jack Nicklaus to Tiger Woods, Verne Lundquist explains his favorite Masters calls ahead of his final trip to Augusta National

Lundquist will call his 40th and final Masters this year for CBS.

Verne Lundquist has a plan next Tuesday night to hang around Augusta National Golf Club to say a proper goodbye to both Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the longtime CBS announcer prepares to call his final Masters in 2024.

“Those two guys have had a terrific impact on my professional career,” Lundquist said on a call with the media ahead of the first men’s major championship of the year. “And I’m in deep gratitude to them both.”

Uncle Verne has been a signature voice at the Masters and will make his 40th and final trip down Magnolia Lane next week. The Masters is an event steeped in history, and Lundquist has covered nearly half of the tournaments. For a man who has seen so much action and drama among the Georgia pines, two of his calls come to mind as his favorites, and they’re Nos. 1a and 1b on his all-time list: Nicklaus’ putt in 1986 and Woods’ chip in 2005.

“I lean towards ’86, probably more so because of the fact that Jack is six months older than me, and I tend to remind him every chance I get,” he said with his signature laugh. “Jack hadn’t won in two years at that time and there are many stories about his championship run on Sunday.”

“(Jim Nantz) had a great call. First Augusta, 1986, he was working at 16 and I think the story is, when Jack hit his tee shot at 16, (his son and caddie) said, ‘Be good’ and Jack without looking up said, ‘It is,’ and the ball almost went in the hole. Jim said, ‘The bear has come out of hibernation.’”

Nicklaus was tied for the lead on the 17th tee after Seve Ballesteros found the water on No. 15. His drive went near the green on No. 7 and he then hit a pitching wedge about 12 feet above the hole. Enter Lundquist.

“I can remember thinking to myself as he walked up, ‘Keep it simple and get your butt out of the way.’ And I managed to do that,” Lundquist remembered of the famous putt. “I boldly predicted ‘Maybe’ when it was not that far from the hole, and then I reacted with what I said, ‘Yes sir!’ with slightly more emphasis than that. I think because I know Jack so much better than I know Tiger, I lean toward the Jack call.”

It will be an emotional week for the entire CBS crew as both Lundquist and CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus will be working their final Masters.

“He’s just the voice,” Nantz said of his good friend and colleague. “His calls are truly legendary. … Augusta’s a place that I feel like kind of comes to life every April. It’s not just because it’s a gathering of the greatest players in the world and there’s a golf competition, but it’s a week where history, where voices, they come back. We hear them again. We still kind of feel and have front of mind the legends of yesteryear. The Gene Sarazens, they make an earthly visit every year in April. Byron (Nelson), Ben (Hogan), Sam (Snead), of course Arnold (Palmer), there’s one week a year where they come back in our lives, back on our planet.

“What I’m saying here is Verne’s always going to always have a home in Augusta. He’s going to be a part of Augusta forever. Those calls that he’s made, they’re going to be played back 50, 100, 200 years from now,” Nantz continued. “He’s gonna have a home there, a permanent residence. I’m just really appreciative. I don’t know quite exactly how I’m going to say my goodbyes, but I’ll figure it out.”

When Lundquist and McManus discussed “the proper time to exit stage left,” the pair agreed that 40 Masters had a nice sound to it. He knows the emotions will hit when he arrives on site the Sunday before tournament week, but he’s going to relish every moment of every day at the course.

“I’ll be emotional and there’s a spot on my left thigh that I’ll be pinching to make sure I don’t shed a tear on the air, but it’s been a great run,” Lundquist said of his time calling the Masters. “Hey, I’m 83 years old and I’ve been blessed to have a sensational professional life and a wonderful personal life. I wasn’t the first to say this, but thanks for the memories.”

Verne Lundquist announces the 2024 Masters will be his last behind the microphone on CBS

Lundquist admittedly doesn’t get around like he used to.

Verne Lundquist called his final college football game at the 2016 SEC Championship, but the legendary broadcaster couldn’t give up one of his favorite plum jobs, coming out of retirement once a year to partake in the Masters.

Lundquist, now 83, hinted in previous years that he might stop his annual trek to Augusta National after his 40th year of broadcasting the event, and on Wednesday he made it official — the 2024 Masters will be his last behind the microphone.

Lundquist, whose famous calls at the Masters include Jack Nicklaus’ birdie putt on 17 – “Yes, Sir!” – in 1986 that gave him the lead and Tiger Woods’ dramatic chip-in birdie on the 16th hole – “In your life!”– in 2005, admittedly doesn’t get around like he used to. The national broadcaster has a home in picturesque Steamboat Springs, Colorado, while he and his wife, Nancy, purchased a small condo in Austin, where he attended high school and started his illustrious career.

During a podcast done in 2022 with the Ringer, Lundquist said he had a plan in place for the finale after talking with CBS Sports executives.

“Sean (McManus, CBS Sports Chairman) and I had a recent talk about my work at Augusta,” Lundquist said at the time. “But in all likelihood, number 40 will likely be my last. Just because it will be time. I think that’s the plan.”

Lundquist’s call as the Dallas Cowboys radio voice of Jackie Smith’s drop in Super Bowl XIII remains one of his most recognizable. And he was the voice of SEC football on CBS as well as a yearly contributor during the NCAA Tournament for decades. He has made occasional cameos outside of golf in recent years, like one before Georgia and Alabama kicked off in the 2023 SEC championship game.

But when it comes to golf, little tops Lundquist’s call of Nicklaus’ putt at the 17th hole of the final round of the 1986 Masters. We all know the call – “Maybe … Yes, sir!” – that would mark Nicklaus’ final push in a stunning Masters win at the age of 46.

Of course, Lundquist was also the TV announcer for the golf classic “Happy Gilmore,” the Adam Sandler movie about a failed hockey player who takes his talents to the golf course in order to save his grandmother’s house. The comedy has undeniably become a part of golf’s culture.

The Masters will be held at Augusta National Golf Club from April 11-14.

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Verne Lundquist’s surprise return for the final SEC on CBS game had college fans in their feelings

It’s only right to have Uncle Verne on the final SEC on CBS broadcast

Think back on your favorite SEC on CBS moment and there’s a better chance than not you’re hearing the voice of legendary play-by-play man Verne Lundquist call the action.

“Uncle Verne” became synonymous with SEC Saturdays and you always knew it was a big game whenever he was welcoming you into a broadcast.

Lundquist officially retired from calling college football and basketball games in 2016, but this Saturday marked the final SEC on CBS game before the deal between the conference and network expires. Soon it’ll be the Big Ten on CBS and the big SEC games will be shown elsewhere.

So before No. 1 Georgia and No. 8 Alabama kicked off in the SEC championship game, CBS gave everyone the one thing it wanted: one last moment with Verne on an SEC broadcast.

During a pregame video, the 83-year-old Lundquist got college fans everywhere ready to settle in for some big time action.

This had college fans everywhere in their feelings.

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10 hilarious SNL sports sketches you totally forgot about

BUH BUH BUH BUH BUH BASK-ET-BALL

When you think of the best sports sketches throughout Saturday Night Live’s nearly 46-year history, chances are you think of all the high-profile athletes and coaches who’ve graced the stage at Studio 8H. Sure, the Peyton Manning United Way sketch is a classic and who could forget Michael Jordan’s appearance on Bill Swerski’s Superfans, but believe it or not, some of SNL’s funniest and most memorable sports sketches were the result of great writing and performances by the cast members themselves.

Here are some of the best. THIS IS NOT A RANKING. DO NOT @ ME.