Dan Hicks, who became NBC's lead play-by-play announcer in 2000 and spent decades covering golf's biggest moments, died Thursday at age 64 after an acute illness.
The news brought an immediate wave of remembrance from across the sport, including Tiger Woods, who said Hicks did an incredible job for golf for decades and left a lasting impact on everyone whose life he touched.
A familiar voice in golf
Hicks was widely viewed as one of the defining voices of modern golf broadcasting. His work helped frame some of the sport's most memorable moments, and his long run at NBC gave viewers a steady presence during major championships and other high-profile events.
That history is part of why his death resonated so quickly. For many fans, Hicks was not just a broadcaster but a constant figure who helped tell the game’s biggest stories as they unfolded.
Tiger Woods' tribute
Woods' tribute focused on both Hicks' professional excellence and his personal reach within the game. In his statement, Woods praised the incredible job Hicks did for golf over the decades and said he hoped Hicks' loved ones could take comfort in knowing how much he meant to so many people.
It was a simple but powerful reminder of how much Hicks mattered beyond the broadcast booth. His voice was part of the backdrop for generations of golf fans, and Woods' words captured that broader influence.
The sport responds
The remembrance continued Friday, when Todd Lewis held a moment of silence before the afternoon round of the Austin Championship. That gesture reflected the respect Hicks earned throughout golf and the sense of loss felt after his death at 64.
For a sport that has long relied on memorable voices to help define its biggest stages, Hicks leaves behind a legacy that is easy to recognize and hard to replace.
