Jim Nantz’s Augusta National Plans Derailed as Family Time Takes Priority for the Masters Broadcaster

Jim Nantz would love to see azaleas blooming and eat pimento cheese sandwiches until the 100th Masters in 2036. That’s when he sees himself retiring, but to sustain that long, he understands that a lot needs to go in his favor. “First off, my health would have to hold up. Secondly, CBS and Augusta National would have to want me to come back. But if all the stars aligned, right now, it feels like a pretty good exit point. April 14, 2036,” he said in his new interview with Bunkered.

In fact, back in 2016, for all he knew, he would like to work 50 Masters Tournaments. Time will tell what happens of it, but at least for now, it seems this year’s plan needs adjustment for many reasons, the primary being his family. It shouldn’t come as a surprise entirely, considering how, last February, Nantz announced his retirement from college basketball broadcasting, a move that gave him the freedom to dive into family game days with his wife Courtney and their children, daughter Finley and son Jameson. But what happens when Nantz’s alma mater, the Houston Cougars, is on the verge of qualifying for the Final Four for the seventh time? Jim Nantz wanted to stay authentic and be on the road to the Final Four, even if it means taking a 290-mile road trip to Indianapolis!

Cougars won 69-50 over the Volunteers. At the post-game celebrations, it was, in fact, difficult to gauge who was happier—Cougars superfan Jim Nantz or coach Kelvin Sampson. You see, Nantz was incredibly proud: “People will look at this team as a throwback team to what college basketball used to be.” In simple words, Cougars fight for loyalty against an era dominated by NIL deals and transfer portal moves. But like they say, there’s always the catch.

Per schedule, his No. 1 seeded team will face off the Duke on Saturday, April 5, in the national semi-final in San Antonio. Of course, for Nantz, who called every Final Four for CBS from 1991 through 2023, Alamodome presents itself as a familiar place where he called Final Four games on four occasions in the past. This time, he won’t be in the broadcasting booth, but that doesn’t mean he can’t turn this into a family trip with just his son. But this would interfere with his travel schedule for the Masters, as he stated on the SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio:

“You know, this is our seventh Final Four, and Tennessee has a pretty big basketball tradition. Both their men’s and women’s programs have strong histories, of course, the Pat Summitt days on the women’s side—but they’ve never been to a men’s Final Four.

“And here we were yesterday, facing them with a chance to go to our seventh, but we have never won the whole thing. And now we have go to go trough Duke. If we are fortunate enough to get past the Blue Devils, we’ll have Auburn or Florida waiting for us on Monday night.

“So I’m taking it all in. It’s just kind of rerouted some of my travel plans to Augusta. But I’m taking my son—my boy Jamison, AKA Jamo—and we’re going to turn on the afterburners. My boy’s not used to staying up that late, but he will on Saturday night, that’s for sure.”

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With the Final Four and the Masters on the horizon, Nantz is in for an exciting few weeks, and we can’t wait to see how it all unfolds. Nantz recently told Masters that he would detour his trip to Augusta to stay in San Antonio for the national championship game on Monday. This comes after Houston’s comeback win over Duke. Nantz will now watch the game instead of heading straight to the Masters. But, do you know about the little routine Nantz does before every Masters game? Well, if not, we’re here to tell you exactly that!

Starting Masters is a “moment of prayer and introspection” for Jim Nantz!

Sports are often steeped in superstition and ritual. Formula One driver Lando Norris has a quirky pre-race ritual that always gets people talking—he calls his parents before every race! Not just for athletes, but fans too believe their actions can influence the outcome. Jim Nantz is no different.

For him, the voice of the Masters for over four decades, the tournament is more than just a broadcast; It’s a spiritual experience. Every year, on the Wednesday before the tournament begins, Nantz makes a pilgrimage to Amen Corner, a sacred spot at Augusta National. As he walks down to the creek fronting the green, crosses the bridge, and finds a quiet spot to reflect, Nantz says a prayer of thanks for the opportunity to be there. “It’s a moment of prayer and introspection, and I just give thanks for the gift of being here,” he shared. “I’ve never taken it for granted that I have a chance to do exactly what I wanted to do as a young boy.”

Nantz’s tradition has been a constant for him over the years, and he hopes to continue it for many more. As we already discussed, he plans to retire after the 2036 Masters. He wants to keep up this tradition until then.

What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.