Jim Nantz had no idea he was the recipient of the 2023 Dave Marr Award.
In each of the last 13 years, among his other duties at the network, the golf voice of CBS Sports has also been a part of the Insperity Invitational’s Players Dinner – an annual tradition that began in 2005 to celebrate golf legends on the PGA Tour Champions.
On Thursday evening, tournament officials surprised Nantz with the prestigious award given annually for contributions and passion to the game of golf.
“I’m absolutely shocked. I had no idea and I am so honored,” said Nantz, whose first appearance at the Masters was in 1986. “Dave Marr was my first-ever guest on a local radio station here in Houston. Since that day, I have lived and died telling the stories of all these great golfers. I idolize all of them. I love this award and I love the Marr family.”
Several of Nantz’s idols, including Jack Nicklaus, played a hand in the surprise announcement. Nicklaus was joined by Gary Player and Lee Trevino, who each spoke about what Nantz has meant to the game of golf.
“I first met Jim in 1985 and then obviously at Augusta in 1986. Jim has been a friend for a long time. He has received many honors but it is long overdue for him to be honored here tonight and I know this is a special one for him,” said Nicklaus.
The Dave Marr Award, created in 1999 to honor individuals who exemplify the traits Marr lived by – sportsmanship, honesty, integrity and a passion for the game of golf – Nantz joins a prestigious list of winners who have done remarkable things both on the golf course and in their communities. The recipients of the Dave Marr Award include Arnold Palmer, Miller Barber, Don January, Ben Crenshaw, Larry Nelson, Tom Watson, Fuzzy Zoeller, Lee Trevino, Curtis Strange, Barbara Nicklaus, Bernhard Langer, Tom Lehman and Johnny Miller.
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