I can still recall the first interview I had with Jim Nantz.
In 2009, Fred Couples, Nantz’s former roommate and teammate from the University of Houston was preparing for Augusta National by running in their old haunts at the Shell Houston Open. Nantz was the obvious choice to quote.
There was only one problem. I called him as he broadcasted the Final Four. Oops! Any other person would have deleted my voicemail and I may have been lucky enough to receive a call at the latest on Tuesday, after March Madness concluded. Nantz was the exception. I called him about one of his closest friends. He dialed back to me in between games, and rushed, came up with three or four quotes that were both snappy and telling, and a story that became my column that week. This was the start of a beautiful relationship.
Nantz was inducted in the PGA of America Hall of Fame as an ambassador on Wednesday during the 107th PGA Annual Meeting held in Frisco. Nantz is particularly touched by the honor, as his love of golf was cultivated during summers he spent at Battleground Country club in Manalapan Township Township, N.J. for Tony Bruno, who was then head professional.
Nantz told me once that “the greatest lesson I learned in my life, which I did not get from my parents, was watching a PGA pro at work.”
Nantz has taught me a lot over the years, especially from our numerous phone conversations, emails and texts. We even met in August, in Minnesota, at , a course that was being built by a college teammate. Here are four life lessons I learned from Nantz, and one story from his long career.
