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Jim Nantz Had 5-Word Reaction To Rory McIlroy's Epic Shot

Originally posted on The Spun | By Andrew Gould | Last updated Apr 13, 2025 7:00 PM ET

Rory McIlroy gave Jim Nantz plenty of drama to call on Sunday.

McIlroy is attempting to secure a long-eluded green jacket with his first career Masters win. He's taken viewers on a wild ride, losing a lead only to gain it back, expand it, and lose it again before saving the day right before enduring more heartbreak.

Late in the closing round, McIlroy saw a multi-shot advantage disappear into a three-way tie with Justin Rose and Ludvig Åberg. Observers lamented another collapse, but McIlroy at least paused that narrative.

After bogeying on the 13th and 14th holes, McIlroy responded with an incredible shot on hole No. 15. Nantz delivered a call that golf fans may remember for a long time if McIlroy prevails.

"The shot of a lifetime!" Nantz declared on the CBS broadcast.

"The shot of a lifetime!" pic.twitter.com/6vUrf57Qgm
— Golf on CBS ⛳ (@GolfonCBS) April 13, 2025

McIlroy couldn't secure an eagle, but a much-needed birdie put him back in favorable positioning. Soon after, McIlroy may have registered another shot of a lifetime.

On the 17th hole, he repeatedly told his ball to "go" as it landed feet away. He finished the putt to take the lead with a monumental birdie that sparked "Rory!" chants from the Augusta National Golf Club crowd.

Just as the tides turned, McIlroy had another crushing setback.

McIlroy found himself in a sand trap on the final hole. He seemed to get out of the pickle, only to miss the putt that would have cemented a Masters win.

Sunday has been a wild day for McIlroy, who began with an ominous double-bogey on the opening hole. His two-shot lead over Bryson DeChambeau instantly vanished, but the 35-year-old responded with a pair of back-to-back birdies.

It now all boils down to a sudden-death playoff against Rose. McIlroy can either salvage a career-defining moment or suffer another disappointing close call.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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