Since Fox is broadcasting next week’s U.S. Open thanks to their lucrative TV deal with the USGA, Jim Nantz is going to have some time off next week. That doesn’t mean he is going to be completely left out of the U.S. Open coverage or at the very least, the lead up to the event.
The U.S. Open is being held this year at Pebble Beach, where Nantz just happens to own a home. Like any golf fan with the means to afford it, Nantz has an area in his backyard where he can work on his game when he is home.
Unlike your friends that might have a putting green or a chipping net in their backyard, Nantz’s set up is a little more elaborate. Nantz has an exact replica of Pebble Beach’s par 3 7th in his backyard.
With the U.S. Open right around the corner and some of the top players heading out to Pebble early to prep for the season’s third major, it was only a matter of time until we heard about, or saw, someone giving Nantz’s little backyard setup a try.
Enter good ole Phil Mickelson.
Phil gave the replica hole a try and it did not disappoint:
I have watched this video several times and I’m still not sure what the best part of it is. There’s the Masters music playing in the background, which I can only hope Nantz has playing in his backyard year round. There’s the Nantz commentary of the shot. Then, of course, there is the Phil celebration which can only be described as a cross between a chef’s kiss and a salute of some sort.