A Tradition Unlike Any Other
Posted Apr 8, 2005, 10:18 AM ET

The Masters is loaded with tradtion.

And on my radio show, "PrimeTime with The Packman", we have a Masters tradition, too.

For the past six years, CBS' Jim Nantz has called into the show a few minutes before the start of the national TV coverage on USA Network.

He first called us from the 18th tower with live coverage.

After a few years, The Masters officials frowned upon the call - and eliminated our exchange from the tower.

That didn't stop our tradition, however.

Jim Nantz, being the professional broadcaster that he is, wanted to continue the tradition as much as we did...so he began to call us from the Butler Cabin just moments before going on the air with national TV coverage of the first round of The Masters.

The stuffed shirts in green jackets didn't care for that either.

So, this year, Jim improvised. He called us from the CBS Sports compound on the Masters property.

His call was an instant classic.

At approximately 3:43 pm on Thursday (17 minutes before live national TV coverage), Jim described the scene as former Masters winner Billy Casper tapped in for a record 14 on the (par 3) 16th hole.

Nantz updated us on Casper's score thru 16 (his 7th hole of the day), and made the greatest prediction ever heard on our radio show.

Jim Nantz predicted that Billy Casper could become the first player in Masters history to record a triple-digit score. The previous record was a 95, held by amateur Charles Kunkle in 1956.

Even more impressive was that Jim Nantz said he thought Casper would fire a score of 106. That prediction was made at 3:46pm.

Jim immediately dashed off from our traditional call and made it to the tower in time for the national coverage on USA Network.

Throughout the day on our radio show, we updated and observed Casper's progress in the first round of The Masters.

As we signed off the air at 6:55pm...Billy Casper tapped in on his final hole for a score of 106.

As long as I host "PrimeTime with the Packman", there will never be a better predicition than the one made by Jim Nantz.

The tradition of The Masters continues.