The Legendary Jim Nantz Gives Us His Mt. Rushmore of Masters Moments.

TL;DR

Jim Nantz names his four greatest Masters moments: Couples 1992, Nicklaus 1986, Tiger 1997, Tiger 2019, and Rory McIlroy 2024.

Key Points

• 1.Jack Nicklaus's 1986 win is Nantz's first pick. A young Nantz, chattering with nerves at hole 16, spontaneously coined 'The bear has come out of hibernation' — a line he later feared he had accidentally plagiarized from another announcer.
• 2.Tiger Woods' 1997 Masters is the second pick, with a pre-planned line. Nantz crafted 'a win for the ages' the night before the final round, knowing Tiger's dominant lead meant the clip would live in history for centuries.
• 3.Tiger's 2019 'return to glory' is the third pick, chosen for its full-circle storytelling. Nantz saw Tiger embrace his children on the 18th green — the same spot where Tiger's own father had embraced him 22 years earlier — and delivered the line almost soulfully given Tiger's long road back.
• 4.Rory McIlroy's 2024 career Grand Slam win rounds out the Rushmore. Nantz describes a wild Sunday odyssey featuring a double bogey on the first hole, a near-shank at 13, and ultimately a playoff victory over Justin Rose as 'storybook stuff,' with Freddy Couples' 1992 win placed in a separate personal category.