Editorial
Remembering Dan Hicks, a Familiar Voice in Golf
Remembering the NBC Sports broadcaster whose familiar voice accompanied some of golf’s biggest moments.
Some voices become part of the way we experience a game. You hear them, settle into your chair, and know you're in good company. For generations of golf viewers, Dan Hicks was one of those voices.
Hicks, NBC Sports' longtime lead golf announcer, died Wednesday, November 11, following an acute illness. He was 64. His wife, broadcaster Hannah Storm, announced his passing in a family statement reported by Golf Channel.
Hicks joined NBC in 1992 and became its lead golf play-by-play voice in 2000. He was behind the microphone for Tiger Woods' playoff-forcing putt at the 2008 U.S. Open, and his work stretched well beyond the fairways to Olympic swimming and Notre Dame football.
A great broadcaster understands that the moment belongs to the athlete. The job is to help us feel its weight, find the right words, and know when the pictures can speak for themselves. Hicks brought a reassuring presence to a sport that can turn a four-foot putt into a test of everybody's nervous system.
In its tribute, NBC Sports praised both his broadcasting and the warmth he brought to his colleagues. Storm remembered a husband and father whose kindness, humor and energy drew people together.
There will be more tournaments, more extraordinary shots, and more Sunday afternoons spent watching golf. Something familiar will be missing from them.
Our thoughts are with Hannah, their three daughters, and everyone who knew and loved him.
Sources
Golf Channel: Dan Hicks, legendary NBC Sports and golf announcer, dies at age 64
Associated Press: Longtime NBC Sports announcer Dan Hicks dies at 64