Verne Lundquist chokes up about his final Masters. What to know about the legendary broadcaster

From “Yes sir!” to “Oh wow,” Verne Lundquist has provided the soundtrack to some of the most memorable moments at the Masters Tournament.

A voice of the tournament since 1983, “Uncle Verne” is calling his final Masters for CBS this weekend after 40 years on the job. He will take his perch as the main announcer on the 16th and 17th holes for CBS and ESPN.

Early in Friday’s live coverage, ESPN anchor Scott Van Pelt honored Lundquist. Van Pelt, who has hosted the tournament for ESPN since 2001, welcomed Verne onto ESPN’s broadcast area.

After Van Pelt thanked Lundquist and served him his flowers, the 83-year-old thanked Van Pelt for the compliments.

He added, through tears, “When I leave here on Sunday, I’ll have 9 billion memories, and a choked up voice.”

A native of Duluth, Minnesota, Lundquist began his broadcasting career as the radio voice of the Dallas Cowboys on WFAA from 1967-84.

He translated that success into national opportunities and eventually landed at CBS in 1982. He briefly left for TNT from 1995-97.

In addition to the Masters, Lundquist called regional NFL, NBA and the Winter Olympics in 1992, 1994 and 1998.

He called college basketball for the network and, in 2000, became the voice of the SEC on CBS. He retired from that post in 2016 and from basketball in 2018.

He also called the PGA Championship until 2019, making the Masters his last annual assignment.

“It will be emotional,” Lundquist said of his final call this weekend.

Before his final weekend calling The Masters, broadcast legend Verne Lundquist reflects on the best calls of his storied career. #TheMasters pic.twitter.com/jcbmI8MZBp

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) April 11, 2024

For most golf fans, two calls from Verne resonate.

In 1986, a 46-year-old Jack Nicklaus delighted patrons by winning his sixth Masters and becoming the oldest golfer to win a major championship in the process.

As The Golden Bear birded on 17 to give him the outright lead, Lundquist uttered:

“Maybe … YES, SIR!”

Nearly two decades later, Verne was on the call at 16, where Tiger Woods was locked in a fierce battle with Chris DiMarco at the 2005 Masters.

Woods faced a tough chip, and as his Nike ball miraculously inched closer to the hole, Lundquist said as the shot sunk into the hole:

“Here it comes … Oh, my goodness! … Oh, wow! In your life, have you seen anything like that?”

“That’s what I grew up watching. I grew up listening to Verne. And he made a nice call there at 16, and it’s one that I’ve been lucky enough to – I will have that memory with Verne for the rest of my life,” Woods said this week.