Dan Hicks Dies at 64: NBC Sports Golf Voice Remembered After Sudden Illness

Dan Hicks, the voice of golf on NBC Sports for more than a quarter of a century, has died suddenly at the age of 64 after an acute illness, his wife, ESPN broadcaster Hannah Storm, announced on Thursday, 12 November 2026.

Key Points

• Hicks died late on Wednesday, 11 November, in Connecticut at the age of 64, after what his family described as an acute illness.
• Storm announced the death on X on Thursday, writing: "Our family is heartbroken by the sudden and unexpected passing of Dan following an acute illness."
• He spent 35 years at NBC Sports, joining the network in 1992, and had been its lead golf play-by-play announcer for the past 26 years.
• He called 27 U.S. Opens, the Ryder Cup, The Open Championship and The Players Championship, and 27 of Tiger Woods's PGA Tour victories.
• He was due to call Saturday's Notre Dame–Boston College football game in South Bend; Jason Benetti replaced him in the booth.

What Happened

Hicks died late on Wednesday, 11 November, in Connecticut. The news was announced the following day by Storm, who wrote on X: "Our family is heartbroken by the sudden and unexpected passing of Dan following an acute illness." No further details about the illness have been released.

Hicks had been scheduled to call Notre Dame's home football game against Boston College at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend on Saturday, 14 November. Instead, Jason Benetti stepped into the booth at short notice and opened the broadcast with an emotional tribute.

"Our colleague of 35 years, Dan Hicks, passed away on Wednesday and I wish I wasn't here right now," Benetti said at the top of the broadcast, his voice breaking as he remembered Hicks before the game began. Notre Dame went on to beat Boston College 41-7, a game Hicks had been due to call as NBC's lead voice for Fighting Irish football.

Background: A Career at NBC Sports

Hicks, a native of Tucson, Arizona, and a graduate of the University of Arizona, joined NBC Sports in 1992 and spent the next 35 years with the network. He rose to become its lead golf play-by-play announcer, a role he held for the past 26 years.

His golf assignments covered the sport's biggest stages: 27 U.S. Opens, the Ryder Cup, The Open Championship and The Players Championship. He was in the booth for 27 of Tiger Woods's PGA Tour victories, including three of Woods's U.S. Open triumphs, calling the defining moments of the sport's most dominant era.

His range went well beyond golf. Hicks covered 15 Olympic Games, calling swimming and skiing, and also worked on the NFL and the NBA for NBC. He was the network's lead voice for Notre Dame football from 2013 to 2016, and returned to that role in 2024, a post he still held at the time of his death.

His work was recognised with a Sports Emmy as part of NBC's coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics, in recognition of a career that spanned golf, the Olympics and football. Golf remains a fixture of American public life beyond the professional game, too: a federal judge this weekend halted the planned overhaul of Washington's East Potomac Golf Links, hours before the course was due to close.

Dan Hicks, the Voice of NBC Sports Golf

For a generation of golf fans, Hicks's voice was the sound of the sport's biggest Sundays. He called the U.S. Open for 26 years as NBC's lead announcer, and his calm, measured delivery became a fixture of the championship season, from Thursday morning to the final putt on Sunday evening.

He was at the microphone for the sport's most memorable modern moments, including 27 of Woods's tour victories. Three of those came at the U.S. Open, the championship Hicks knew best, and his calls of Woods's triumphs are part of the sport's recorded history.

What set Hicks apart was his steadiness. In a sport where the crowd falls silent and the drama plays out in whispers, his voice carried the weight of the moment without ever overwhelming it. That steadiness made him the natural choice to lead NBC's golf coverage for more than a quarter of a century.

Reactions and Quotes

Storm's announcement drew an outpouring of grief from across sports media. Her post on X was brief and direct: "Our family is heartbroken by the sudden and unexpected passing of Dan following an acute illness."

The most public tribute came on Saturday, when Benetti opened NBC's Notre Dame broadcast with words that captured how suddenly the loss had hit the network. "Our colleague of 35 years, Dan Hicks, passed away on Wednesday and I wish I wasn't here right now," he said, before leading the broadcast in Hicks's place.

Hicks is survived by Storm and their three daughters.

Why It Matters

Hicks's death matters because of the sheer scale of what he covered. Thirty-five years at one network, 27 U.S. Opens, 15 Olympic Games and the defining golf career of the modern era — few broadcasters in American sports history have been present for so much of it.

It also matters because of the timing. Hicks died days before a game he was scheduled to call, and his replacement had to open the broadcast by explaining his absence to viewers. The abruptness of the loss — an acute illness, announced a day later — left no time for farewells.

For NBC Sports, the loss is of a voice that defined its golf coverage for a generation. The network will have to find a new lead announcer for a role Hicks held for 26 years, and whoever follows him will be measured against a standard set over 26 years.

What Happens Next

Benetti called Saturday's Notre Dame–Boston College game in Hicks's place, and NBC's football coverage will continue with its existing team. The bigger question is who takes over the lead golf role Hicks held for 26 years, with the next championship season the first in a generation without his voice in the booth.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did Dan Hicks die?
He died late on Wednesday, 11 November, in Connecticut at the age of 64, after an acute illness. His wife, Hannah Storm, announced the death the following day. No further details about the illness have been released.

How long was Dan Hicks at NBC Sports?
Hicks spent 35 years at NBC Sports after joining the network in 1992. He had been its lead golf play-by-play announcer for the past 26 years.

What did Dan Hicks cover?
He called 27 U.S. Opens, the Ryder Cup, The Open Championship and The Players Championship, as well as 15 Olympic Games, the NFL, the NBA and Notre Dame football.

Who is Dan Hicks's wife?
Hannah Storm, an ESPN broadcaster. They had three daughters together.

Who replaced Dan Hicks for the Notre Dame game?
Jason Benetti, who opened Saturday's Notre Dame–Boston College broadcast with an emotional on-air tribute to Hicks.