Jim Nantz reveals retirement plans from The Masters

Jim Nantz has been a part of the broadcast for every Masters since 1986. While Nantz has no plans to step away in the immediate future, he does have a date in mind to retire from his role at the 18th tower and Butler Cabin.

Speaking with Bunkered, Nantz said his scheduled retirement date from The Masters is 2036. The 2036 Masters will be the 100th anniversary of golf’s most famous major, as well as the 50th anniversary of Nantz first time announcing at Augusta National.

“If all the stars aligned, right now, it feels like a pretty good exit point: April 14, 2036,” Nantz said. “That is my scheduled retirement date. It would be a perfect place to walk out.”

Jim Nantz wants to step away at 100th Masters

Nantz, 65, has been with CBS since 1985 and currently serves as lead play-by-play announcer for the network’s coverage of the PGA Tour and NFL on CBS. He became the frontman for the network’s Final Four coverage in 1991, stepping down from his post in 2023.

Nantz’s iconic voice has called many of The Masters’ great moments, from Tiger Woods‘ first victory at Augusta in 1997, to Phil Mickelson capturing his first of three green jackets in 2004. Perhaps no call has become more iconic in the modern era than his of Woods’ win at Augusta in 2019, his first major triumph since 2008. “Many doubted we’d ever see it, but here it is. The return to glory,” Nantz said as Woods sank his winning putt on 18.

Nantz will continue to greet us with “hello, friends” for years to come. And while 2036 is the retirement date he has picked out, plans could change, Nantz suggested.

“I know what’s going to happen,” Nantz said. “I’m going to get to that year, and I’m going to say, ‘You know, maybe I could do this for a while longer.’ We have broadcasters over here that have gone on well into their 80s, so that’s one of those ‘wait and sees’, I guess.”