NBC Broadcaster Dan Hicks Dies at Age 64 After 35 Years With Network

What was his most famous golf call?

Hicks was in the booth for the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines when Tiger Woods faced a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole with shredded ligaments in his left knee and a double stress fracture. The putt curled in the right side to force a playoff.

“[He] asked what it was like on the 18th,” Roger Maltbie said, according to Golf Channel, recounting the ground-level perspective from Torrey Pines.

“I said Tiger expected to make it. Everyone expected him to make it. He had that invincible aura at the time.”

As the ball dropped, Hicks delivered his most famous line out of 22 U.S. Opens called: “Expect anything different?”

How did colleagues remember his broadcasting style?

Maltbie described Hicks as an inclusive and thoughtful partner who elevated everyone around him.

“[He was] a very quarterback, point guard,” Maltbie told Golf Channel. “If you listen to his broadcast, to me he was terrific at passing the ball around. He always had a question, always got you engaged.”

Johnny Miller partnered with Hicks for years in a pairing the PGA Tour called one of golf television’s defining broadcast partnerships.

When Miller retired, he praised his colleague’s steady presence.

“Dan Hicks is so smooth and good it just allows me to do my thing without really a lot of pressure,” Miller said.

Paul Azinger expressed shock over the loss.

“I’m just devastated,” Azinger told Golf Channel. “What a void to not have Dan. That’s the most impactful man in every aspect of his life. He never got cheated one day out of being happy.”

What other major moments did he call?

Hicks anchored coverage across three decades of sports history. During the 2012 Ryder Cup, he watched Europe rally from a four-point deficit on the final day as Martin Kaymer holed a six-foot par putt.

“Europe has pulled off the improbable,” Hicks said. “Their own miracle at Medinah.”

At the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont, J.J. Spaun held a one-shot lead on the 18th hole and hit his approach to the left side of the green.

“How about one?” Hicks said, according to Golf Channel, after Spaun made a 65-foot putt to seal the victory.

“In one of the most unlikely final-round Sundays in U.S. Open history, J.J. Spaun closes the deal with a birdie. … Max Homa shared tributes as news of his death spread, saying according to Golf Channel that the beauty of his job was that people will remember his voice and stories.”