CBS Sports announces Verne Lundquist’s Masters replacement on the 16th hole
Legendary broadcaster Verne Lundquist retired after the 2024 Masters and CBS Sports has found the man to replace him.
In an emotional goodbye, the legendary Verne Lundquist bid farewell to Augusta National a year ago, which marked his 40th Masters broadcast.
His two most famous calls will live in Augusta lore forever. In 1986, Lundquist uttered, “Yes sir!” as Jack Nicklaus took the lead with a birdie putt on the 17th hole. Nineteen years later, in 2005, Lundquist further cemented himself in Masters history by asking, “In your life have you ever seen anything like that!?” Of course, that question came immediately after Tiger Woods holed out for birdie in the most improbable manner, a moment that became synonymous with both Woods and Lundquist’s illustrious careers.
But Lundquist will no longer call the action from the tower that overlooks the 16th green.
Frank Nobilo will instead.
Nobilo has worked for CBS Sports since 2015, when he replaced the late, great Peter Oostheruis. Over the past few years at Augusta National, Nobilo has called the action from Amen Corner, where the tournament was more or less decided a year ago. Ludvig Åberg found the pond to the left of the green, and Max Homa made a double-bogey on the famous par-3 12th, which increased Scottie Scheffler’s building lead on the second nine. Scheffler ultimately cruised to a second Masters victory. Nobilo was there firsthand, providing excellent analysis on how it all played out.
He received great praise from his CBS colleagues during a Masters preview call with media on Tuesday.
Before his time at CBS, Nobilo was a fixture on the Golf Channel, working primarily in the studio before transitioning to calling live golf. He also became a fixture on Golf Channel’s Live From set, which now features Brandel Chamblee and Paul McGinley as analysts and Rich Lerner as the host.
Nobilo, who hails from and continues to live in Auckland, New Zealand, reached his playing peak in the 1990s, when he posted solid finishes in all four major championships. He even finished solo fourth at the 1996 Masters, a year universally known for Greg Norman’s demise and Nick Faldo’s Sunday ascendance to a third Masters victory.
Nobilo knows all about the immense pressure players feel on the second nine on Sunday, making him the perfect replacement for Lundquist on the famous 16th.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.