Next week, Jim Nantz will host CBS’ Masters broadcast for the 38th time. This week, the golf TV legend provided a hearty dose of controversy ahead of the first major of the year.
In a media conference call previewing the 2026 Masters, Nantz offered up a shocking confession about Bryson DeChambeau, who even Nantz admitted is among the favorites to win the green jacket at Augusta National. The comments also served as an underhanded slight at LIV Golf.
Nantz’s big admission? He hasn’t watched DeChambeau “hit a single shot this year.”
Nantz confesses to not watching DeChambeau ahead of Masters
Nantz has seen a lot of Bryson DeChambeau over the years, but less so since the two-time major 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 thorough knowledge of the current roster of Tour stars. But it doesn’t help him with pros who don’t play on the PGA Tour, such as DeChambeau.
Still, the expectation for any lead analyst, especially for the most important event of the year, is to thoroughly study every competitor ahead of the tournament. That’s even more true when it comes to star players who will likely be featured in the broadcast.
But on Monday during his pre-Masters media call one week before the tournament, Nantz admitted that when it comes to DeChambeau, he has not done his homework.
Interestingly, Nantz provided his confession while naming DeChambeau as one of his top picks to win the Masters next week.
“I think if you had to pick one guy, [Scottie Scheffler] would be the guy, and probably right behind him would be Bryson [DeChambeau].”
He added that DeChambeau deserves to be a top Masters pick “given his recent track record.” But then Nantz contradicted himself by admitting that he’s only received a second-hand accounting of DeChambeau’s recent results.
“I have to confess, I have not seen Bryson hit a single shot this year. I have not seen him,” Nantz said.
He continued by saying he can’t speak to DeChambeau’s current “form” because he’s only watched YouTube videos of Bryson with his son.
“So for me to say what his form looks like, all I can go off is the YouTube videos I’ve watched with my son,” Nantz said. “That’s all I’ve seen.”
Why Nantz hasn’t watched Bryson in lead-up to Masters
Nantz did offer an excuse for why he hasn’t watched DeChambeau this year, saying he has been “busy doing our own coverage, so I haven’t seen him play.”
But that reasoning is dubious at best. NBC has provided the TV coverage for the last several PGA Tour events heading into the Masters. Nantz and CBS’ last event was the 2026 Genesis Invitational, which ended February 22, more than a month ago.
Reading between the lines, Nantz was really admitting that he hasn’t watched any LIV Golf events this year, which is the only tour DeChambeau has played on so far. If Nantz had tuned into LIV Golf since CBS’ last golf broadcast at the Genesis, he would have seen Bryson win back-to-back events.
Despite his lack of knowledge regarding DeChambeau’s current form, Nantz said because he’s aware of Bryson’s past performance, he wouldn’t be surprised to see him capture his third major title at the Masters next week.
“I know his desire to win there. I know Bryson quite well through the years, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see him in a Green Jacket one day.”
The 2026 Masters begins next Thursday, April 9, at Augusta National.
