Verne Lundquist is gearing up for his 40th and final Masters Tournament as a broadcaster. He is known for his iconic voice when Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods won the green jacket in 1986 and 2005, respectively. The 83-year-old recently reflected on his 40-year-long journey and the legacy he would leave behind.
Since 2000, the American sportscaster has been associated with the CBS Sports Network. After the 88th edition of the prestigious major at Augusta National, he will depart from the channel alongside the chairman Sean McManus. Interestingly, he revealed in a teleconference on Monday that they already had a talk about exiting the stage and decided to do it after the 2024 edition. As quoted by Golf Digest, Lundquist said,
“Sean and I had a conversation a couple of years ago about what would be the proper time to exit stage left, and he and I agreed that 40 had a nice round feel to it.”
Verne Lundquist had two back surgeries, so, his decision to bid farewell to CBS Sports does not come as a surprise. Back in 1974, he joined ABC Sports which kicked off his national broadcasting career. His first stint with CBS Sports started in 1982, he did leave the channel for a short period to work with Turner Sports but came back soon.
In 1983, he worked on his very first Masters Tournament assignment. However, his most memorable edition was the 1986 when Jack Nicklaus won the green jacket for the sixth time in his career. As Lundquist recalled the moment, he said,
“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 added, “I boldly predicted ‘maybe’ when it [Nicklaus’ putt] was about that far [inches] from the hole. I reacted with what I said with a little yes sir, with slightly more emphasis than that.”
Verne Lundquist Wants To Meet Jack Nicklaus And Tiger Woods After The Champions Dinner
The 83-year-old American sportscaster revealed that he would be hanging around the Augusta National Golf Club on Tuesday. His reason was quite simple, all he wanted was to bid his last goodbye to two of his favorite golfers, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
“I want to see Tiger at the end of the Champions Dinner on Tuesday night. I just want to say goodbye to him and thank him. Same with Jack,” Lundquist said. “Those two guys have had a terrific impact on my professional career and I’m in deep gratitude to them both.”
As Verne Lundquist went on to speak about his last assignment as a sports broadcaster, he said,
“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. It’s been a great run. Hey, I’m 83 years old and I’ve been blessed to have a sensational professional life and a wonderful personal life. So I wasn’t the first to say this, but thanks for the memories.”
Lundquist’s sensational four decade run will come to an end after the conclusion of the Masters 2024 at Augusta National. The game of golf will surely miss the 83-year-old American as one of the most iconic voices of all time.
