Verne Lundquist Merton Laverne " Verne " Lundquist , Jr . ( born July 17 , 1940 ) is an American sportscaster , currently employed by CBS Sports television . Biography . Early life and career . Lundquist was born in Duluth , Minnesota . He graduated from Austin High School in Austin , Texas , before attending Texas Lutheran University ( formerly Texas Lutheran College ) , where he was one of the founders of the Omega Tau Fraternity ( ΩΤ ) in 1958 before graduating in 1962 . He began his broadcasting career as sports anchor for WFAA in Dallas and in Austin for KTBC , as well as being the radio voice of the Dallas Cowboys . WFAA - TV is ABC ' s station in Dallas , Texas . Lundquist joined the Cowboys Radio Network in 1967 and remained with the team until the 1984 season . He was paired with future ( and now current ) play - by - play man Brad Sham starting with the 1977 season , the year the Cowboys went 12 – 2 ( winning the first 8 games of the season ) and captured their second NFL title in Super Bowl XII . Nationally , Lundquist worked for ABC Sports from 1974 – 81 , then moved to CBS ( 1982 – 95 ) and TNT cable ( 1995 – 97 ) before returning to CBS in 1998 . Lundquist was featured as himself commenting on the golf games in the movie " Happy Gilmore " . Currently , Lundquist resides in Steamboat Springs , Colorado . Network assignments . Before becoming a nationwide sports commentator , from 1970 – 74 , Lundquist was commentator for the sports show , " Bowling for Dollars " , in Dallas , Texas . It aired weekday evenings on ABC station , WFAA - TV , from 6 : 30 – 7 : 00 , in north central Texas . During these 4 seasons , Lundquist started interviewing Cowboys players and their first head coach , Tom Landry , at their sidelines , during halftimes , practices , pre - season and pre - game warm - ups , in Dallas . Lundquist currently does play - by - play for CBS college football ( teaming with Gary Danielson on the network ' s broadcast of Southeastern Conference games ) and college basketball action , as well as The Masters and PGA Championship golf tournaments . He is also among the key voices of NFL Films , and in past years had called regional NFL games for CBS , NBA games for CBS and TNT , and TNT ' s " Sunday Night Football " telecasts . He called television play - by - play on Seattle Seahawks preseason games from 2006 – 08 . Lundquist ' s patented belly laugh and his contagious enthusiasm for the events he covers have made him one of the more prominent and recognizable on - air talents in network TV . During the 1992 , 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics , whose rights were held by CBS and TNT , Lundquist and Scott Hamilton served as the announcers for figure skating events . Their performances were parodied by " Saturday Night Live " cast members Phil Hartman and Darrell Hammond ( as Lundquist ) with Dana Carvey , David Spade , and Will Ferrell ( both as Hamilton ) : in 1992 with Jason Priestley and 1994 with Nancy Kerrigan and Chris Farley they did a spoof of the Olympics figure skating events , as both Hartman and Myers went " Oh ! " when Priestly or Farley ( in a pre - recorded performance ) did an on - ice pratfall . Lundquist , after seeing the original footage in 1992 , commented that Hartman " nailed it dead on . " Lundquist also backed up for Chris Schenkel on ABC ' s Pro Bowlers Tour in 1978 during a tournament in Grand Prairie , Texas . Memorable calls . While calling the Cowboys ' radio broadcast of Super Bowl XIII against the Pittsburgh Steelers , he famously said , " " Bless his heart , he ' s got to be the sickest man in America ! " " after Cowboys tight end Jackie Smith dropped a 3rd quarter touchdown pass , which would have tied the game at 21 . Lundquist was also the play - by - play man for the 1992 Regional Final between Kentucky and Duke , where Christian Laettner hit a 17 - foot jumper at the buzzer to win the game in overtime . " " Here ' s the pass to Laettner . . . puts it up . . . YES ! ! ! " " In 2006 , he announced another memorable college basketball game ( George Mason vs . Connecticut ) in the Elite 8 . In George Mason ' s historic upset of UCONN , Verne announced " " By George , the dream is alive ! " " He was a play - by - play announcer in the " NBA Live ' 98 " video game and was also the play - by - play announcer in the " College Hoops 2K8 " video game . Lundquist also called two famous golf shots at the Masters . Most recently , Lundquist called Tiger Woods ' dramatic chip - in bridie on # 16 at the 2005 Masters Tournament , yelling " " Here it comes . . . Oh , my goodness ! . . . OH , WOW ! ! IN YOUR LIFE , have you seen anything like that ? " " In 1986 , he called Jack Nicklaus ' birdie putt on # 17 , with the famous line : " " Maybe . . . YES , SIR ! " " Lundquist played himself commentating on tournaments in the 1996 motion picture " Happy Gilmore " . He also commentates for college football games . Another pet phrase Lundquist uses on occasion is " " How , do you DO ! " " ; on a huge offensive or defensive play , a phrase he took from Southern Cal football broadcaster Pete Arbogast ( who in turn took the phrase from venerable broadcaster Vin Scully ) . Lundquist filled in for Ernie Johnson Jr . as host of TNT ' s coverage of the PGA Championship twice , in 2006 as Johnson was battling cancer , and in 2011 when Johnson left after the second round following the death of his father on that Friday night . Honors . At the 2005 Sun Bowl , Lundquist was inducted into the Sun Bowl Hall of Fame along with UCLA Bruins football coach Terry Donahue . In 2007 the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association elected him for induction to its Hall of Fame . In broadcasting circles , Lundquist is affectionately known as " The Golden Throat " .