The words “Hello, friends” ring something right in your heart. But for the caller, Jim Nantz, it holds an even more special meaning. The story started with Nantz’s father, Jim Nantz Jr., who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease in the early aughts. By the time 2002 rolled around, Nantz’s father had only a “faint recognition of his son.” But despite losing so much of himself, Nantz Jr. retained something important: his friends. According to a 2017 interview, Nantz said of this situation, “He had nothing but friends.” So, how did “Hello, friends” come into existence? Nantz promised his father that he would send him a message during the 2002 PGA Championship telecast, and the message was “Hello, friends.”

Truth be told, his father’s struggle has affected Nantz in more ways than one.

Before this year’s PGA Championship, Jim Nantz sat down for an exclusive with New York Magazine to discuss his career and his father’s profound impact on him. Beginning with how he keeps up with so many demanding schedules, the veteran caller said, “I just think all the adrenaline that’s running through me somehow has sparked some sort of age-resistant reaction inside my body, and most everyone that’s full-time in my world says the same thing. People ask, “When are you going to slow down? How do you have so much energy?” I don’t know any other way.”

Nantz described his routine of packing up and moving on to the next task. In the afternoons, he drives to his children’s school and waits in the car line, eagerly anticipating the highlight of his day. He emphasizes that having two small children greatly enhances his sense of vitality. Discussing how his “mind is always working. He’s always thinking of ideas for stories and ways to capture a moment, whatever the season might be,” he shared the reason why he maintains healthy habits and strict routines.

Talking about how his “memory has been such a blessing in my life,” Nantz compared his story with that of his father: “The sad paradox is that my dad was a victim of Alzheimer’s disease. His 13-year journey through that dark world in many ways changed the way I looked at my world and at life. I wanted to dedicate myself to being part of a team that would one day bring positivity to that otherwise dreary world of Alzheimer’s research.”

Before the disease affected his father, Jim Nantz envisioned his dad retiring from his furniture business to join him at NFL games, golf tournaments, and college basketball events. Years after his father’s passing, Nantz recalled, “He’d tell me, ‘Oh, son, you really don’t need me.’” But the truth was that Nantz needed him—his first and closest confidant.

Thirteen years after receiving his diagnosis in 1995, that is in 2008 on June 28, Jim Nantz Jr. passed away soon after the release of his son’s book Always by My Side: The Healing Gift of a Father’s Love in 2008. However, his profound impact remained, even years after he passed away.

In 2011, Nantz formally announced the establishment of the Nantz National Alzheimer’s Center at Methodist Hospital in Houston. The center focuses on the vascular and epidemiological risk factors related to Alzheimer’s, as well as the effects of concussions on dementia. Mentioning the same during the exclusive, Nantz said, “I created and opened with the Houston Methodist Hospital the Nantz National Alzheimer Center, named in honor of my dad, and it truly has been life-changing for me.”

Keith Mitchell joined hands with Cisco and Mizuno to support Jim Nantz’s mission

In March, PGA Tour pro Keith Mitchell shared an intimate part of his life with the public. The golfer admitted that four members of his family were affected by Alzheimer’s disease, and Jim Nantz’s Nantz National Alzheimer Center had played an important role in helping deal with the tragedy. “I have had four members of my family affected by Alzheimer’s. The Nantz National Alzheimer Center is the leader in its field and has given our family great care and results in fighting the disease,” Mitchell said of the issue. To show support from his side, the golfer joined hands with Cisco and Mizuno for a great cause.

In March of this season, Imperial, the leading brand in golf headwear, announced an exciting new partnership with PGA Tour player and Imperial brand ambassador Keith Mitchell, along with Cisco and Mizuno, to create a Charity Game Tour Visor®. This special visor, inspired by the one Mitchell wore during PGA Tour events, was designed to enhance fans’ golfing gear and raise essential funds and awareness for the Nantz National Alzheimer Center, a cause close to Mitchell’s heart. The Charity Game Tour Visor® combined Mitchell’s signature style with a meaningful purpose, with all proceeds benefiting the Nantz National Alzheimer’s Center.

Jim Nantz Jr.‘s legacy of “Hello, friends” continues meaningfully.