Jim Nantz’s Comments Regarding Bryson DeChambeau Ahead of 2026 Masters Tournament Causes Stir on Social Media

Ahead of the Masters Tournament, commentator Jim Nantz expressed that he had not seen Bryson DeChambeau hit a single shot this season.

Jim Nantz’s Comments Regarding Bryson DeChambeau Ahead of 2026 Masters Tournament Causes Stir on Social Media

Bryson DeChambeau and Jim Nantz (Image via Golf Digest)

Golf commentator Jim Nantz caused a massive stir on social media on Monday. Ahead of the Masters Tournament, the veteran admitted that he had not seen a single live shot of LIV Golfer Bryson DeChambeau this season and only caught some highlights of him on YouTube.

Nantz is the long-time announcer for the Masters Tournament. On Monday, he would take part in a preview call for CBS Sports regarding the upcoming major championship.

During this, he was asked which golfers could be considered as contenders for the green jacket. While he did name DeChambeau along with Scottie Scheffler, he made a major comment regarding the LIV Golfer.

I have to confess, I have not seen Bryson hit a single shot this year. I have not seen him, so for me to say what his form looks like, all I can go off is the YouTube videos I’ve watched with my son.

Jim Nantz on Bryson DeChambeau

This comment from him comes at a time when DeChambeau has been in fine form. After finishing T17, T3 and T24 in his first three events, the Crushers GC captain has gone back-to-back in his previous two starts.

At the LIV Golf Singapore event, he overcame Richard T. Lee in the playoff round to claim his 1st win of the 2026 season. A week later, he found himself in another playoff battle, this time against Jon Rahm.

In what had been an emotional week for him in South Africa, the American international edged out his league rival in the playoff round to capture his 2nd successive win.

At the moment, the Crushers GC captain is 2nd in the LIV Golf individual standings behind Rahm. While the Spaniard has fewer wins than DeChambeau, he has 3 runner-up finishes and 1 top-5 finish to his name this season. Thus, the 2023 Masters Champion is also one of the heavy favorites for the tournament this year.

Golf fans left divided on social media following Jim Nantz’s comments against Bryson DeChambeau

Ahead of the 2026 Masters Tournament, Jim Nantz made an honest confession and expressed that he had not seen Bryson DeChambeau play live due to his own coverage duties. Golf fans however, were left divided following this statement.

Jim Nantz and Bryson DeChambeau
Jim Nantz and Bryson DeChambeau (Image via Golf Monthly/Imago)

While some fans on X defended the commentator for his take, some attacked him and questioned his professionalism. Check out some of the fan reactions below:

DeChambeau was in contention for the green jacket last season. He was in the final pairing with Rory McIlroy on Sunday.

After his playing partner slipped a bit, he found himself on top of the leaderboard. However, he was unable to maintain his lead and finished T5. Meanwhile, McIlroy went on to win the event and claim his maiden title and thus completed the career grand slam.

Rory McIlroy recently revealed having tense moment with Bryson DeChambeau at 2025 Masters Tournment

Last year, Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau battled against one another for the coveted green jacket. A few days back, the reigning Masters Champion revealed having a tense moment with the LIV Golfer in the final round.

Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy
Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy (Image via The Independent)

Last week, Prime Video released a video from “Rory McIlroy: The Masters Wait“, a documentary about McIlroy’s triumph. In this video, the Northern Irish golfer opened up about a tense moment between him and DeChambeau at the 9th hole.

With the pressure high on their shoulders, the two of them were confused about who would putt first. While discussing about this, the LIV Golf star would suggest flipping a tee to decide.

This was something that surprised McIlroy. He would immediately turn it down. In the end, DeChambeau allowed him to go first. The World No.2 was successful in draining his putt.

Following his win, McIlroy became just the 6th golfer in men’s professional golf history to win all 4 major championships. He would then go on to finish T47 in the PGA Championship, T19 at the U.S. Open and T7 in the Open Championship.

As for DeChambeau, he went on to finish as the runner-up in the PGA Championship and miss the cut at the U.S. Open, where he was the defending champion. After a poor start to the Open Championship, he bounced back and finished T10 in the final major of the year.

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