SAN ANTONIO — Colt Knost had been waiting for his chance to turn the tables on Jim Nantz. The former U.S. Amateur champion and now CBS golf analyst got it at Quail Hollow, where Nantz introduced him at a dinner as the newest member of the Texas Golf Hall of Fame.
Knost stopped him.
“Jim, I’m just gonna stop you right there real quick because I've got to ask you a few questions for once,” Knost recalled. “I said, ‘Jim, you went to Houston, right?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ ‘That’s in Texas, right?’”
Then came the punchline.
“I didn’t see your name on the list of Hall of Famers there,” Knost told him. “Jim, you just keep doing what you’re doing. Now that I’m going to be in the Hall, I’ll write you a letter of recommendation. Maybe we can get you in there.”
A few weeks before Knost’s induction, Nantz returned the favor, but in his own dry style.
“He texted me two weeks ago, and it was just out of the blue, separate from our team CBS text,” Knost said. “He said, ‘Hey man, I know your induction’s coming up. I just want to congratulate you. I’m so proud of you. That’s a huge honor.’”
Knost knew to wait for a second before responding.
"I was, like, that's kind of weird, like something's coming," Knost said. "And all of a sudden I see dot dot dot ... this just slid across my desk, and it was the announcement that he's a finalist for the World Golf Hall of Fame."
The exchange was especially fitting for Knost, whose quick-witted, unfiltered style has taken him from a small Texas town to amateur golf’s biggest stages, the PGA Tour and eventually the broadcast booth for some of the game’s biggest championships.
While Nantz's career awards will continue to mount, on Monday night at San Antonio Country Club, the moment belonged to Knost and the rest of the Texas Golf Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.
Knost was inducted in the amateur category as part of a power-packed class that included two-time major champion Stacy Lewis in the professional player category; longtime PGA professional Dale Morgan in the golf professional/teacher category; Mark Harrison for professional service; and renowned putting and short-game instructor Dave Pelz, who was honored posthumously for lifetime achievement. Houston’s River Oaks Country Club was inducted as the historic course.
For Knost, joining a Hall filled with names he grew up admiring proved almost overwhelming.
“It’s just so cool to look around this room and see so many people that I’ve followed growing up playing golf and looked up to my whole life, to join them in the Hall of Fame,” Knost said. “I mean, Mr. Nelson, Mr. Hogan, Mr. Trevino. … It’s really special.”
It was a destination Knost admitted he never envisioned while growing up in rural Texas.
“I don’t think I was ever supposed to be here,” he said. “Growing up in Pilot Point, Texas, we don’t have a golf course. I picked up golf very late. I realized at a young age I was in love with the game, and it’s all I wanted to do.”
Knost went on to become one of the country’s top amateurs, and although his life and career eventually took him elsewhere, his connection to Texas remained.
“Even though I was born in Ohio, I live in Arizona, I always tell everybody I’m from Texas,” Knost said. “I’m proud to be from Texas.”
He also pointed to Royal Oaks Country Club and the people there as an important part of his journey, saying the club gave him a membership when he turned professional.
“None of this happens without them,” Knost said. “That’s why I love to say Royal Oaks is home.”
Knost’s playing career eventually gave way to an unexpected second act in golf media. He became a popular voice in the game and joined CBS, putting him alongside Nantz while covering events including the Masters and PGA Championship.
“I never thought I would be in the media world,” Knost said. “You think you’re playing professional golf for a living, you’re going to ride off into the sunset and everything’s going to be great. You’re going to have this Hall of Fame career, and it doesn’t work out that way for everybody.
“Luckily, I stumbled into this media world. It’s been such a blast. I never thought I would be at CBS covering the Masters, the PGA Championship, all these great tournaments, now sitting across from Jim Nantz.”
Knost also believes there is something distinctive about the golfers Texas produces.
“Texas golfers are just different,” he said. “They’re tough. They’re gritty.”
He pointed to Scottie Scheffler as the modern example.
“You look at the best player in the world right now, Scottie Scheffler. He’s the nicest guy on the planet, but when he’s on the golf course, he wants to step on your throat,” Knost said. “I love that. When I think of Texas, I think tough.”
Knost said toughness became part of his own identity as a player.
“I pride myself on being very tough on the golf course when I played because I didn’t have the talent or the skill set that a lot of guys did,” he said.
That journey made Sunday’s honor even more meaningful.
“I’ve never thought I would have a hard time talking,” Knost said. “But when you surround yourself with these great people in this room, it’s tough to get the words out sometimes.
“This is a dream of a lifetime.”
The Texas Golf Hall of Fame called the 2026 group a class spanning generations and different corners of the game.
“This class represents the very best of Texas golf across generations,” chairman Mike Booker said. “From global champions to transformative leaders and historic venues, each honoree has left a lasting imprint on the game. We are proud to celebrate their achievements and the legacy they continue to build.”
Executive director Alli Jarrett said the group represents more than accomplishment on the course.
“The Class of 2026 reflects excellence not only in playing performance, but in leadership, innovation, and service,” Jarrett said. “These inductees have elevated the game in meaningful and lasting ways, and we look forward to honoring their stories and contributions.”
Each member of the Class of 2026 will be commemorated with a granite marker on the Texas Golf Walk of Fame at Brackenridge Park Golf Course in San Antonio, as well as at the Hall’s anchor sites at The Ronny Golf Park at PGA Frisco and Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston. Digital museum exhibits for the class are being supported by a grant from the Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation.
Tim Schmitt is the managing editor of Golfweek and the golf coordinator for the USA Today Network.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Colt Knost tells hilarious Jim Nantz story at Texas Golf Hall of Fame induction
