Next week, Jim Nantz will host the CBS’ Masters broadcast for the 38th time. This week, the TV golf legend provided a big dose of controversy ahead of the first major of the year.
On a press conference call previewing the 2026 Masters, Nantz made a shocking admission about Bryson DeChambeau, who also admitted to Nantz that he is among the favorites to win the green jacket at Augusta National. Commentary also served as a minor feature at LIV Golf.
The biggest reception of Nantz? He never watched DeChambeau “hit a single shot this year.”
Nantz admits he didn’t watch DeChambeau before the Masters
Nantz has seen a lot of Bryson DeChambeau over the years, but less since the two-time winner joined LIV Golf in 2022.
In addition to the Masters, Nantz leads the TV booth for all of CBS’ PGA Tour broadcasts. That gives him in-depth knowledge of the current roster of tour stars. But it doesn’t help the pros who don’t play on the PGA Tour, like DeChambeau.
However, what is expected of any leading analyst, especially at the most important event of the year, is to carefully read every competitor before the tournament. That is even more true when it comes to famous players who may be featured in the broadcast.
But on Monday during a press conference a week before the tournament, Nantz admitted that when it comes to DeChambeau, he hasn’t done his homework.
Interestingly, Nantz gave his nod when he named DeChambeau as one of his top picks to win the Masters next week.
“I think if you had to pick one guy, [Scottie Scheffler] it could be a boy, and maybe behind him it could be Bryson [DeChambeau].”
He added that DeChambeau deserves to be the top player at the Masters “given his recent record.” However, Nantz contradicted himself by admitting that he had only received a partial accounting of DeChambeau’s latest results.
“I have to admit, I haven’t seen Bryson hit a single shot this year. I haven’t,” Nantz said.
He went on to say that he could not speak to DeChambeau’s “form” because he only watched YouTube videos of Bryson and his son.
“So to say what his form looks like, the only thing I can use is the YouTube videos I watched with my son,” said Nantz. “That’s all I saw.”
Why didn’t Nantz watch Bryson lead the Masters
Nantz gave an excuse as to why he didn’t watch DeChambeau this year, saying “he’s busy doing our own thing, so I haven’t seen him play.”
But that assumption is highly questionable. NBC provided televised coverage of the final PGA Tour events leading up to the Masters. Nantz’s last event with CBS was the 2026 Genesis Invitational, which ended on February 22, more than a month ago.
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Reading between the lines, Nantz actually admitted that he hasn’t watched any of the LIV Golf events this year, the only tour DeChambeau has played so far. If Nantz had tuned into LIV Golf since the last CBS golf broadcast on Genesis, he would have seen Bryson win back-to-back events.
Despite his lack of knowledge about DeChambeau’s current form, Nantz said that because he knows how Bryson has played, he wouldn’t be surprised to see him capture his third major at the Masters next week.
“I know his desire to win there. I’ve gotten to know Bryson well over the years, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see him in a Blue Jacket one day.”
The 2026 Masters begins next Thursday, April 9, at Augusta National.
