AUSTIN, Texas — When Billy Horschel and his wife, Brittany, publicly shared the story of her battle with alcohol addiction and her time in rehab, one of the messages that meant the most didn't come from a fellow golfer — it came from the NBC Sports broadcast booth.
Speaking through emotions Thursday at the Austin Championship, Horschel remembered late broadcaster Dan Hicks not for his iconic calls of golf's biggest championships, but for a quiet act of compassion away from the cameras.
"Through the years we've exchanged messages and everything. I remember he sent me a beautiful message, I think shortly after my wife and I talked about her addiction to alcohol and her being in rehab," Horschel said after shooting an opening-round 69 at Barton Creek’s
Fazio Canyons course. "His wife, Hannah, is an unbelievable woman herself. Those are sportscaster royalty right there, and what they've both done in their careers."
Hicks, the longtime voice of golf for NBC Sports, died Wednesday, Nov. 11, at age 64 following an acute illness, according to a social media post from his wife, fellow broadcaster Hannah Storm.
As news of Hicks' passing spread across the PGA Tour on Thursday, Horschel — who grew up watching Hicks on television before developing a personal bond with him on Tour — struggled to put the loss into words.
"When I got out on Tour, he was great to me early on. I remember winning the FedEx Cup and talking to him afterwards and seeing him," Horschel said. "It's sad that we've lost a member of the PGA Tour, a member of the media that was so well respected amongst his peers, amongst the players. I've never heard anyone say a bad word about Dan Hicks.
"It's a great hole that we've got to fill and I'm not sure we're going to have anyone that can fill that anytime soon because, like I said, he was just amazing at what he did. It's sad that he's no longer with us."
Dan Hicks, longtime lead golf play-by-play announcer for NBC Sports, has died following an acute illness. He was 64.
— PGA Tour (@PGATour) November 12, 2026
Across three decades, Hicks provided the soundtrack to some of golf’s most memorable moments. The Arizona native joined NBC in 1992 and assumed the network’s… pic.twitter.com/eQWJPT0SGF
Max Homa calls Dan Hicks 'a lovely person'
Max Homa echoed Horschel’s tribute, remembering Hicks for his genuine interest in players' families and his warmth whenever their paths crossed.
"I've had my fair share of personal interactions with him. He's just a lovely person," said Homa, who also shot 69 Thursday at the Austin Championship. "All those guys who work in that space, their memories are amazing, they seem to know so much about your family. I feel so bad for his [family] and his friends. I know he's a very beloved man. We loved him. I have so many great memories of listening to him. I know that that will live on forever.
"The beauty of his job is that we'll all remember that voice and the stories he told and the kind of experiences he gave us through calling golf," Homa added. "It's very, very sad. I'm glad I've got my memories with him because they were always great. Our last dinner we had or the last time I went to dinner with him was awesome. Very, very sad. Obviously shocking news. But I'm hopeful people — his legacy's going to be awesome."
Tim Schmitt is the managing editor for Golfweek and the golf coordinator for the USA Today Network.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Billy Horschel recalls Dan Hicks' kindness during wife's rehab as PGA Tour mourns legendary broadcaster
