No one can call a sporting event like the legendary Jim Nantz can.
He’s the voice behind so many memorable calls, and until this past year, had the honor of calling the National Championship game every single year. Nantz retired from that role, but before he stepped away from the NCAA tournament’s finale, he arguably had the best week in all of sports.
Nantz would call the championship on a Monday night, then catch a flight to Augusta, Georgia to prepare for calling the Masters tournament Thursday through Sunday. As a sports fan, this week is great just sitting on the couch and watching. Imagine being Jim Nantz and getting to actively participate in both esteemed events.
The velvety voice of Jim Nantz (usually saying “Hello friends”) is still servicing the Masters, and he’s currently at Augusta National Golf Club in his 37th consecutive year calling the tournament. He’s actually the host of the entire broadcast, and if you tune in to the golf event, you’ll likely see him sitting down with golfers in the historic Butler Cabin.
Nantz has been a part of countless memorable moments at the Masters, and he may have accidentally created another with what he may or may not have said earlier today. One of the competitors playing in the year’s first major tournament hit an accidental lay up shot at the Par-5 13th hole, which left the golfer with a tough shot across the famous Rae’s creek.
Jim Nantz was on the call, and social media was probably 80% sure that the legendary announcer said this when breaking down the player’s shot:
“He knows it. He also knows there’s a ticklish little b*tch coming up.”
Trust me, I wish with all of my being that Jim Nantz said that.
But what he actually (and hopefully) said was that the competitor was going to have tricky pitch shot for his approach to the green. A pitch shot in golf is a short distance shot with a wedge, and it was certainly going to be tricky shot over the creek and onto the green.
Nantz most likely said this, though it certainly doesn’t sound like it:
“He knows it. He also knows there’s a ticklish little pitch coming up.”
