Days After Going Viral for His LIV Golf Trolling, Legend Jim Nantz Comes Clean on His ‘Whimsical’ Comment

The final round of the 87th Masters had golf fans hooked on to their screens last Sunday. PGA Tour golfer Jon Rahm prevented a LIV Golf upset as he edged past Brooks Koepka to register a win. The PGA-LIV battle was at its highest level during the first major of the year, with several iconic sports personalities weighing in. One such personality, whose choice of words garnered significant attention, is none other than the famed CBS announcer Jim Nantz.

Per golf enthusiasts, Nantz allegedly took a swipe at LIV Golf during the event. Now, the sportscaster has come out in defense of his comments, which have set social media on fire.

Jim Nantz explains the backstory behind LIV Golf jibe

Nantz is a big name in the golfing community, with the sportscaster hosting 36 Masters broadcasts. It is a given that fans listen to the 63-year-old announcer with keen interest whenever he speaks. It was during Masters’ third-round broadcast last Sunday when he intentionally or unintentionally aimed a jibe at Brooks Koepka and LIV Golf.

The CBS icon made an interesting comment as PGA Tour defector Koepka went down to take his shot on the 15th-hole crosswalk. “There it is right on the CW … the crosswalk,” said Nantz. For the uninitiated, The CW is the broadcasting partner of LIV Golf, just like CBS is the partner of the rival PGA Tour.

Last week, Nantz appeared on the SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast to explain his comments. Sharing the backstory, the CBS announcer expressed shock at the traction his now-infamous comments have gained. “I’m honestly shocked that there was any kind of reaction to it.”

Nantz also offered an insight into his hectic schedule during the Masters week. He revealed, “First off, we were on for 29 hours, either taping or being on the air. So, for the Masters to be summed up in a throwaway line for me on a Sunday morning — I find it all pretty amazing, what people latch on to.” He further cleared the air, saying that it was definitely “not a shot.”

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However, he did admit to feeling a little bit cheeky. “I was just, maybe being a little cheeky. I certainly didn’t mean it to be a shot. It was not a shot at all,” confessed the legend, divulging that he was trying to be a bit “whimsical.”

Nantz rubbishes claims about LIV golfer Phil Mickelson’s mistreatment

6-time major winner and LIV golfer Phil Mickelson was in smashing form at the 2023 Masters. The 52-year-old golfer shut down his detractors as he tied at T2 with fellow LIV compatriot Brooks Koepka. Making his 30th appearance at Augusta this year, the 3-time Masters winner found himself entwined in a controversy involving CBS.

Many golf fans claimed that the CBS network, which is the broadcasting partner of the PGA Tour, deliberately did not give Mickelson much screentime. However, CBS sportscaster Jim Nantz has now refuted those claims. Appearing in Jimmy Traina’s podcast, Nantz shared that CBS did not treat anyone “differently.”

“I think if you went back and looked at the full coverage on Sunday… our guys were really on Phil,” he said in the podcast. “There was no effort at all by anybody at CBS to treat anyone any differently.”

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Do you believe that Jim Nantz’s words from the Masters were not a deliberate jibe? What did you think about his comments from the podcast? Let us know in the comments below!