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For over 40 years, Jim Nantz has been the mainstay in the golf commentary space. It doesn’t matter which network you work for; he has earned the respect of all his colleagues in the field. Just a few weeks ago, he celebrated his 40th anniversary in the profession. Today, he is celebrating another big anniversary in life. And Amanda Balionis couldn’t be more excited about it.

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Balionis shared Skratch Golf’s reel celebrating Nantz’s 67th birthday on her story with her own message saying, “Happy Birthday to the 🐐!”

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Truly one of the greatest of all time in the industry for golf, Nantz has been a mentor to many, like Balionis, over the years. As both of them work for CBS Sports, she has had the opportunity to work with the veteran on multiple occasions.

In fact, Balionis had also expressed how grateful she was to be in the position to work with such legends in the industry. She expressed the same during an interview with Kira K. Dixon in Under the Umbrellas on the Masters YouTube channel.

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Balionis told Dixon, “I don’t take that lightly. No one on our team takes that lightly. This is the one week in a year where, even though you know it’s impossible to be perfect on live television, you want to be so perfect this week to prove that you’re deserving of this honor,” as she discussed teaming up with Nantz & Co. during the broadcast.

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Coming back to Balionis, she wasn’t the only one excited to celebrate Nantz’s birthday. The golf community was also quite thrilled to join the party.

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The internet joins Amanda Balionis in celebrating Jim Nantz’s 67th birthday

After spending four decades as a golf analyst, Jim Nantz has certainly earned the love of the entire golf community. So it doesn’t come as a surprise that many fans dropped in to wish him the best on his birthday.

One of them said, “Hello Mr. Nance, happy happy birthday to you ❤️ your voice is beyond soothing. Have a great day.”

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Another also wrote, “Happy birthday Jim! You have entertained me for years and years!! All the best my friend!”

Nantz’s voice has been synonymous with the biggest golf events in the world and the best coverage in the sport. From his silence during Tiger Woods‘ fifth Masters Tournament win in 2019 to calling Jack Nicklaus‘ last Green Jacket win in 1986, he has been a part of some memorable moments. So fans have always connected with his voice.

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Someone commented, “But why did I watch the whole thing? 😐”

The entire video only had Nantz’s intro of saying “Hello, friends,” numerous times. But it had become such a standard in golf that the community had just gotten used to listening to it at the beginning of every expert panel session.

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Speaking of standards, a fan wrote, “The Gold Standard of Sports Broadcasting.”

Nantz certainly represents the highest standard of quality golf analysis. There is a reason his 40th anniversary during the 2026 Farmers Insurance Open was a moment of celebration. He was also honored with the 2026 ASGCA Donald Ross Award a few days ago for his glorious career.

Lastly, someone said, “Happy Birthday to the GOAT announcer 🔥.”

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Just like Amanda Balionis, the internet also believes that Jim Nantz is one of the greatest announcers in the history of golf.

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Molin Sheth

2,148 Articles

Molin Sheth is a senior Golf writer at EssentiallySports and a key member of the ES Golf Trends Desk. He brings strong editorial judgment and a data-driven approach to uncovering the game’s overlooked angles, delivering insightful play-by-play reporting across golf’s four major championships. As part of the EssentiallySports Journalistic Excellence Program, an in-house initiative that mentors and develops writers through expert guidance and rigorous training, Molin works closely with industry-leading mentors to bring clarity and depth to a sport where precision matters and every shot tells a story. Molin comes from a diverse professional background that enriches his coverage. With extensive experience in digital marketing, content management, and quality assurance, he excels at optimizing processes and enhancing user experiences, skills that translate into delivering well-researched, engaging content efficiently. His roles in customer support, technical troubleshooting, and cross-functional collaboration have honed his problem-solving abilities and attention to detail. This comprehensive skill set allows Molin to approach golf reporting with a unique blend of creativity, analytical rigor, and operational excellence, ensuring his work resonates with both casual fans and serious golf enthusiasts.

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