The 90th Masters tees off Thursday, and it’s also the 40th anniversary of Jim Nantz’s first year working the event for CBS. That anniversary brought up a fond memory for SBJ golf/media reporter Josh Carpenter.
“I was a longtime fan of Nantz’s and actually had a connection to him: My mom was/is close with his aunt. And with me being an aspiring journalist, as a junior at UNC Charlotte at the time, they set me up so I could meet him following the third round of the 2010 Quail Hollow Championship,” Carpenter recalled. “After being in a trance and shaking his hand for what felt like 10 minutes, we chatted briefly, and he joked that he would save a spot in the 18th tower for me one day.
“We said our goodbyes, and as I was trudging up the hill near the clubhouse with my now-wife, someone from Nantz’s team ran us down and hand-delivered the tie he had worn on the CBS broadcast that day. It’s a small tradition Nantz has kept over the years, doing the same at the Final Four and with other aspiring media students. I’ve held onto it over the years and still think about that brief exchange any time I see Nantz on a broadcast, golf or otherwise.
“So, cheers to the best to ever do it as he calls his 41st Masters this week.”
