Tiger Woods Flashback: Retiring Broadcaster Verne Lundquist Was Once Left Stunned by His Actions at the Masters

Verne Lundquist ‘calls’ it a day. The veteran broadcaster, who has been at it for almost half a century, will be at the 16th booth for one last time, CBS announced. Among his many famous calls, none is perhaps more famous than the one during Tiger Woods’s chip in the 16th at the 2005 Masters.

Woods would go on to win his fifth Green Jacket, beating Chris DiMarco in a thrilling playoff. But it was the fabled chip-in on the 16th that left an indelible mark on public memory. Arguably one of the best shots by the 15-time Major winner (easily tied for the first spot with the shot in the dark at Firestone for this writer) was made better with Lundquist’s magical call.

Tiger Woods conjured some Masters magic that left Verne Lundquist spellbound

That day, Trevor Immmelman made an ace on the 16th. Chris DiMarco was going strong at the 16th as well. So, when Woods missed the greens, it was a little surprising. The ball was sitting on the edge of the rough. Woods judged his preferred trajectory before hitting it low.

We all know what happened next. The ball would tiptoe through the chiaroscuro on the 16th green, slowly turning right towards the cup. Woods, already lifting up his club, started walking towards the ball. The speed dwindled as the decibels kept going up. “Oh, my goodness,” Lundquist said, reaching his peak as well.

For a split second, the ball stopped just before the hole. Tiger Woods crouched. The crowd, already on their feet, almost went out of breath before jumping up. The ball, as if hearing the call from destiny, finally rolled into the hole. “Oh wow!” Lundquist paused for a moment to catch his breath before conjuring the immortal line. “In your life, have you seen anything like that?”

Was it spontaneous? “You sure don’t stay awake at night and think about what you’re going to say when Tiger Woods chips in from 90 feet,” Lundquist would later recall at the 2006 Atlanta Constitution. But calling Woods’s most memorable shot at Augusta was one of the many unique opportunities his career has given him.

A relook at Lundquist’s illustrious career

Lundquist’s first call at Augusta came in 1983, when Seve Ballesteros earned his second Green Jacket. The veteran has been a constant since then, barring his two-year break between 1997 and 1998. After moving between the 13th and 17th holes, Lundquist settled on the 16th hole. 

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Three years into his Masters assignment, Lundquist got the opportunity to witness Jack Nicklaus’s 6th Green Jacket from up close. “Yes, sir!” the veteran commentator called out as the Golden Bear made the birdie putt on the 17th. The 83-year-old broadcaster has covered the NFL, NBA, and Olympics in his long and illustrious career.