Verne Lundquist’s tips for creating memorable TV calls

If you follow golf in any capacity, you’ve certainly heard some of Verne Lundquist’s velvety tones providing the soundtrack to some of the highlights.

That goes for football, basketball and more too.

When you hear, “Here it comes … Oh my goodness … OH WOW!!! IN YOUR LIFE have you seen anything like that?” You don’t need to see it. You’re already picturing Tiger Woods’ ball trickling down the 16th green at Augusta National, hanging on the edge and then dropping in the cup.

Of course, that’s just one of many calls Lundquist has made over his years calling golf for CBS, which ended last month at the Masters. No matter the moment, Lunquist had a knack for using “the fewest words possible to say the most possible” according to Peter Kostis

Kostis and fellow broadcaster Gary McCord had Lunquist on their “Kostis & McCord: Off Their Rockers” podcast, a GOLF Production, to talk about his time calling the Masters, his favorite moments, saying goodbye to Tiger Woods and more. Kostis wanted to learn what Lundquist’s secret was.

“Discipline, I think, Peter, more than anything else,” the 83-year-old answered simply. “Just as an example, Tiger’s chip shot in ’05 at 16. I was then 65 years old and I had 40 years in the business. And I think if I’d been a 35-year-old, I would have been screaming, you know, ‘Oh my God, that’s a great shot.’

“But I’ve been through many different scenarios in golf or basketball or football.”

Lundquist said he always carries with him a thought from the late legendary CBS producer Frank Chirkinian.

“Frank told me once, remember your caption writer,” Lundquist said. “You don’t need to go into a lengthy story, and I’ve never forgot that.”

He also remembers the three rules Chirkinian laid out for him at his first telecast during the 1983 Phoenix Open.

No. 1, after you’re introduced, don’t mention your name.

“Nobody cares who you are,” Chirkinian told him.

No. 2, Don’t talk over a shot.

“You shut up before the player takes the club back. And don’t describe the shot in the air. Wait till it lands.”

No. 3, do not state the obvious.

“If a guy makes a three-foot putt, I’ll shoot you if I ever hear you say he made it.”

That week, Lundquist said on air that a player missed a putt and got chewed out by Chirkinian over the broadcasters’ headsets. Everyone heard it. After that, Lundquist clearly learned his lesson.

“Well, I never did it again,” he said.

You can listen to the entire interview with Lundquist below.

Jack Hirsh

Golf.com Editor

Jack Hirsh is an assistant editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State University, earning degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his high school golf team and recently returned to the program to serve as head coach. Jack also still *tries* to remain competitive in local amateurs. Before joining GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but also producing, anchoring and even presenting the weather. He can be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com.