The close of a season naturally ushers in a wave of sentimentality. Much like the end of an academic year—which, paradoxically, coincides with the start of many others—this final chapter inspires deep reflection on what has passed. Honors are distributed. Recollections are traded. Future designs progress rapidly from tentative sketches to permanent ink, only to vanish in a flash.
Professional golf is no exception to this rule. Just as with any other league, time eventually catches up with the PGA Tour, with the FedEx Cup Playoffs serving as the grand finale of a highly dramatic and unexpected 2026 season. Famous icons and elite players triumphed. Rising young stars performed at their absolute peak. Major titles were secured not only by the usual favorites but also by dark horses who found their winning rhythm.
A vast portion of this journey has been broadcast live on CBS, which is also set to air the concluding two postseason events: the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship. Anchoring the coverage throughout has been the iconic announcer Jim Nantz, completing a landmark season that represents his 40th year of broadcasting since his debut at the Masters back in 1986.
Indeed, that very Masters.
Having witnessed a career’s worth of historic milestones and unforgettable feats by the world’s best golfers, Nantz declined to reveal whether there was one specific broadcast that stood out as his personal favorite.
“The upcoming one,” Nantz replied. “I appreciate every single one of them.”
Rather than picking, he did what he excels at most and shared an anecdote. His tale was about the historic Crosby Clambake, now famously referred to as the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Although the lighthearted, eccentric character of the tournament has faded and the amateur field playing the opening 36 holes is now comprised more of corporate executives than celebrities, there was once a very different era—and Nantz is the perfect person to illustrate how his philosophy came to be.
“Years ago, during my early days with the CBS production at Pebble Beach, I heard a remark that stuck with me forever,” Nantz recounted. “Phil Harris used to play this heavily-drinking persona, always appearing as though he had just stepped out of a saloon—which obviously wouldn’t be well-received today, and I understand that.
“However, during one of our live broadcasts, Jack Lemmon hit a shot on the 18th hole at Pebble Beach that bounced off the rocky shore and into the sea. Pat Summerall remarked dryly over the air, ‘That is Lemmon on the rocks.’ Ken Venturi responded, ‘That sounds like a beverage I ordered in the pub last night.’
“Then he addressed Phil, who was standing in for Bing Crosby, who had passed away within the prior decade. He inquired, ‘Phil, I’ve always been curious, given your reputation as a connoisseur of alcohol, what would you say is your favorite cocktail?’
“And live on CBS, he replied, ‘The next one.'”
