The final stretch at Augusta National Golf Club will sound a bit different at this year’s Masters Tournament.
CBS Sports president David Berson announced Tuesday that CBS golf analyst Frank Nobilo is the new voice of the famous par-3 16th hole at Augusta National. Nobilo is replacing the longtime voice of 16, Verne Lundquist, who called his final Masters Tournament last season.
“He deserves this opportunity…I’m thrilled that he gets to be a much more integral part of the latter part of our coverage,” Berson told the media during a pre-tournament press call on Tuesday.
As a result, Nobilo will move off his normal spot on Amen Corner, where lead play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz and lead booth analyst Trevor Immelman will spearhead coverage on some of golf’s most iconic holes.
CBS lead golf producer Sellers Shy added, “There’s no one more experienced,” as both a broadcaster and golfer than Nobilo. Shy also believes that moving Nobilo off Amen Corner will allow for the broadcast to include Nantz and Immelman a bit more. “There’s now a real nice balance that I think everyone’s going to be very very happy with,” he said.
Last year, Lundquist called his 40th and final Masters Tournament. His calls on 16 have been synonymous with the CBS presentation of the tournament for as long as most can remember. Famously, Lundquist called Tiger Woods’ chip-in in 2005 with the line, “In your life have you ever seen anything like that?”
No doubt, this year’s Masters will have a new feel sans Lundquist. But Frank Nobilo certainly has the experience behind him to dutifully replace Uncle Verne.