Verne Lundquist has uttered many thousands of words in his long broadcasting career, but none are more memorable than two he said 25 years ago this month at Augusta National Golf Club.
“Yes, SIR” was the exclamation mark Lundquist placed as Jack Nicklaus (pictured) raised his putter while his birdie putt fell into the hole on the 17th green in the final round of the 1986 Masters. To this day, the picture of Nicklaus and Lundquist’s call are indelible memories from one of the most unforgettable days in golf history, when Nicklaus put on his charge to win his sixth Masters green jacket at age 46.
Lundquist, a resident of Steamboat Springs since 1984 (he also owns a downtown Denver condo), will return this week to Augusta, where he’s been a CBS Sports fixture for all but two years since 1983. And you can bet there will be plenty of attention paid to the 25-year anniversary of Nicklaus’ feat — and to Lundquist’s two words.
If there’s any question about that, note the name of a one-hour documentary ESPN will air on Wednesday (April 6) at 4 p.m.: “Yes Sir: Jack Nicklaus and the “˜86 Masters”.
In a recent phone interview with COgolf.org, Lundquist fully admits the ’86 Masters is the favorite call he’s made in his broadcasting career. And, mind you, he’s worked some of the biggest events that the NFL, college football, college basketball, the NBA and the Olympics have to offer.
“I could be self-deprecating to the point of sickness, but I’m proud of (the ‘Yes Sir’),” said the man who happens to have been born the same year as Nicklaus (1940). “It fit the moment. My favorite anecdote about it is Pat Haden (former NFL player, broadcaster, and current University of Southern California athletic director) told me about 15 years ago that when his regular golf group plays in L.A., and anyone sinks a long putt, inevitably they’ll yell ‘Yes, SIR.’ That’s nice.”
To be sure, Lundquist (pictured at left) has had calls that rival the one in 1986. In fact, the one that immediately jumps to mind also occurred in a final round at Augusta. In 2005 at the 16th hole, Tiger Woods improbably holed a huge-breaking pitch for birdie en route to victory. What golf fan can forget the Nike swoosh on Woods’ ball being displayed so prominently just as the ball fell into the cup?
“This is one of the toughest pitches on the entire place,” Lundquist said before Woods struck the shot. “He will do well to get it inside (Chris) DiMarco’s ball, which is 18 feet from the hole.”
When the shot trickled in and Woods went wild in celebration, Lundquist said, “Oh my goodness! Oh wow! In your life, have you seen anything like that?”
But even though that might be the highlight of a lifetime for many, it can’t beat Nicklaus playing the last 10 holes at Augusta in 7 under par — with the birdie on 17 capping the surge — en route to becoming the oldest Masters champion ever.
“In my memory bank, that’s No. 1,” said Lundquist, a member of the National Sportscaster s and Sportswriters Hall of Fame. “It has to do with the event, the fact that it happened at Augusta and that it’s Jack. If it were a lesser player, we wouldn’t be talking about it as much. There was an incredible buildup on the back nine, and because of the amazing drama this goes to the head of the list.”
When Nicklaus and his son Jackie were lining up the putt, Lundquist said he was well aware of the enormity of the broadcasting moment. He made a mistake estimating the length of the putt — he called it 18 feet instead of the 11 it turned out to be — but he certainly played the moment right.
“Simplicity is best,” he said. “I thought to myself, “˜Get out of the way. Don’t screw this up.’ But there was amazing synchronicity. Jack punctuated the words (by raising his putter to the sky).”
Although fellow broadcaster Ben Wright had said “Yes, sir” not long before when Nicklaus eagled the 15th hole, Lundquist said he was unaware of that until Peter Kostis reminded him of the fact many years later. Whatever the case, the words hit the mark.
In fact, longtime CBS Masters host Jim Nantz has said Lundquist’s “Yes, Sir” is “the greatest call in Masters history.”
The whole situation wouldn’t have presented itself had Lundquist not moved into the 17th-hole assignment for the first time in 1986. Frank Glieber had manned that spot from 1968 to ’85, but had died of a heart attack in May 1985.
But wherever Lundquist was assigned that day, he would always remember what transpired.
“Without reservation at all, that day in ’86 was the best sporting event I’ve ever witnessed,” he said. “I can’t imagine what the people on the grounds thought, but it was scintillating for us on the telecast.”
Ironically, Lundquist said that he’s never watched the telecast of the final round from start to finish, though last week while in Steamboat Springs, he caught a 1986 Masters highlight video that aired on the Golf Channel.
“You forget the sequence of events, and how amazing it was,” he said.
Nowadays, Lundquist can think of no better broadcasting assignment than the Masters.
“They say that they used to have to hoist (broadcaster) Henry Longhurst into the (TV) tower,” Lundquist said. “Well, as long as I’m breathing I want to come back and sit at 16, even if they have to hoist me into the tower. An association with the Masters like this was totally unexpected for me. With what Jack and Tiger have done there, I’ve got my name associated with the two greatest golfers ever.”
This week, Lundquist plans to attend Nicklaus’ press conference and shake his hand. He also intends to go to a reunion of old-time CBS golf regulars who will pay tribute to Frank Chirkinian, the longtime CBS executive producer for golf who passed away a month ago.
When Lundquist decided to move to Steamboat Springs in 1984, he told Chirkinian of his plans. And what was the response of the man some referred to as “The Ayatollah”? “You’re moving where?,” Lundquist recalls Chirkinian saying. “He said you’ll live in Steamboat only until you miss your first golf tournament (because of travel complications). But knock I wood, I haven’t missed any.”
