Some voices become so much a part of your life that you can hear them long after the television goes quiet.
Dan Hicks was one of those voices for me and I suspect he was one of those voices for you. I grew up watching him and his calls colored in my childhood and my love of golf.
“Expect anything different?” he roared after Tiger Woods made an electric birdie putt on the 72nd hole of the 2008 U.S. Open.
I can still hear those words—and many other famous Hicks calls—exactly as he said them. I imagine I always will.
Somehow, Dan is no longer with us, which comes as a complete shock to the golf world. In the words of his Golf Channel/NBC colleague, Rich Lerner, Hicks was “64 going on 44” and still at the top of his game as an announcer, both in golf and Olympic sports like swimming and skiing. He worked out regularly and was in excellent shape. By all accounts, he was a tremendous husband to fellow journalist, Hannah Storm, and an outstanding father to his three daughters.
Quickly and tragically, Hicks died of an acute illness most were aware of until receiving the stunning news Thursday morning.
I never met Dan but I want to take a moment to express my gratitude as a golf fan.
One of the beautiful parts of our game is that we cherish history and reminiscing about moments. The voice of Dan Hicks will be present in so many of those moments for as long as golf is played and watched.
Dan had tremendous poise and calmness, paired with genuine curiosity, enthusiasm and empathy. He understood the gravity of what he was watching and had a wonderful instinct for when to speak, what to say and when to let a moment breathe. You could feel his excitement without ever feeling that he was competing with the occasion.
I especially loved his partnership with the polarizing Johnny Miller. Dan knew how to get the most out of an opinionated, wonderfully unpredictable analyst. He could ask the right question, gently draw something out of Johnny or play the straight man with perfect timing.
Making that look so effortless took extraordinary skill, more than any of us truly understand.
He was a pro’s pro and there was warmth in his professionalism. Even on the biggest stages, he sounded like someone who loved being there and understood why we loved watching.
Eight years before Hicks called Tiger’s iconic putt at Torrey Pines, he and Miller were in the booth for Tiger’s 15-shot victory at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. There was little suspense about who would win by Sunday but there was an enormous story to tell about what we were witnessing. Their partnership was so well suited to that task as Miller brought the perspective and strong opinions of a major champion, while Hicks guided the conversation with curiosity and an instinct for what the viewer needed to understand.
Then there was the 2016 Open at Royal Troon when Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson spent a Sunday trading extraordinary shots while the rest of the field seemed to be playing a different tournament. Hicks and Miller were wonderful company for an afternoon like that. They appreciated the quality of the golf, conveyed the growing significance of the duel and let the players supply the drama.
A year later at Royal Birkdale, Hicks helped guide us through Jordan Spieth’s bewildering journey from the practice ground beside the 13th hole to the breathtaking run that won him the Claret Jug. That afternoon required patience through confusion, clear explanations and then a quick recognition that something extraordinary was unfolding. Those were all things Hicks did so well.
Looking back, I realize how much of my golf memory comes with his voice attached. I remember the shots and the celebrations but I also remember how he made those afternoons feel. His calmness gave the tension somewhere to build. His enthusiasm made the release that much sweeter.
For those of us who grew up watching him, Dan Hicks will always be there when we revisit those moments.
It’s hard to put into words what it means to lose a voice that helped you fall in love with a game. You realize how much of that person lives in your memories, how inseparable his words have become from the moments you treasure.
Dan Hicks will always be part of how I remember golf. He will be deeply missed.
Top Photo Caption: Dan Hicks during the 2023 Players Championship. (GETTY IMAGES)
Leave A Reply