Verne Lundquist completed his 40th and final Masters broadcast last weekend where Tiger Woods gave the legendary announcer a moment he’ll treasure forever.
Lundquist was on the call for Woods’ incredible chip-in on the 16th hole during the 2005 Masters. As amazing as the chip-in was, Lundquist’s call made the moment all the more electric. “IN YOUR LIFE have you ever seen anything like that?!” Lundquist exclaimed as Woods birdied the 16th hole to take a commanding two-stroke lead over Chris DiMarco during the final round of the 2005 Masters.
At his Masters press conference last week, Woods spoke highly of Lundquist’s career, especially his call of that 2005 chip-in. After hearing those comments, Lundquist felt it was important to say goodbye to Woods last Sunday, and what better place to do it then on 16 at Augusta National.
Lundquist joined Charles Barkley and Ernie Johnson on the latest episode of The Steam Room podcast. And after cameras caught Woods and Lundquist sharing a moment Sunday on 16, Johnson asked the 83-year-old retired sports broadcaster if he could share what was said during their conversation.
“I ventured down to 16 and he was playing 14 at the time and he was having a horrible day. Five over and wound up dead last in the tournament,” Lundquist said of Woods. “But even though he was five over, he walked off the green at 16 and as he approached, I just said, ‘Tiger, thank you.’ He reached over and shook my hand and we chatted. In all candor, I can’t remember what we said, except I thanked him for the kind words that he had, and he said, ‘We’re gonna be tied at the hip forever’ because of that shot and because of what I said.”
But it wasn’t what Woods said, or even the handshake that Lundquist will remember most about their interaction. There was one more gesture from Woods that Lundquist will cherish from his final Masters broadcast.
“The thing I most treasure about it,” Lundquist continued of his interaction with Woods. “He went over and teed off at 17, I was still standing under the tree. And as he walked down the 17th fairway, he just looked over and gave me a thumbs up. I will treasure that forever. People say, ‘Do you think he’ll come back?’ Hell yes he’ll come back. He’s not gonna let people remember that he was 60th in a field of 60.”
Woods and Lundquist have shared a special connection at Augusta National since 2005, but Sunday afternoon marked one more moment for the memory book.