In his mind, there’s still a long way to go before CBS TV commentator Jim Nantz retires with “Goodbye, Friend.”
Nanz, 65, who will be broadcasting his 40th Master next month, told Scottish golf magazine Bunkere that he would like to continue broadcasting in 2036 through his 100th Master performance.
“A lot of things have to happen for that to happen,” Nantz told Bancard. “First, my health has to endure. Secondly, I need to hope that CBS and Augusta National will come back to me. But if all the stars are now together, it feels like a pretty good exit.
“April 14, 2036. That’s my scheduled retirement date. It’s the perfect place to go outside.”
Nanz, who continues to be a play-by-play announcer for CBS on the NFL broadcast, took part in the first Masters broadcast in 1986. He is also the top voice of the PGA Tour TV broadcasting network.
He also coined the familiar Masters phrase, “A tradition that is different from others,” in 1986, when Master recorded his trademark in 2014.
However, Nantz said that even if he reaches that target retirement date with Masters in 2036, nothing has been set on stone.
“I know what’s going to happen,” Nantz told Bancard. “I’m going to get to that year, and I’m going to say, ‘You know, maybe I can do this a little longer.’
“There’s a broadcasting station here that’s been going well in the ’80s, so I think it’s ‘wait, watch’. ”