His wife, veteran television sports broadcaster Hannah Storm, announced the death in a statement posted to social media. No further details about the illness were immediately released.

Hicks was a fixture at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, where he anchored NBC's broadcasts of The Players Championship for more than 25 years. For golf fans in the Jacksonville area, his voice became inseparable from the tournament's biggest moments, from the island-green drama at the 17th hole to Sunday charges down the 18th fairway.

His portfolio extended well beyond golf. Hicks covered the PGA Tour, the Ryder Cup and the U.S. Open for NBC, and he also called Olympic swimming and skiing and Notre Dame football. The range reflected a broadcaster equally comfortable with the hushed tension of a putting green and the roar of a packed stadium.

Colleagues and viewers frequently described his style as soothing and understated, a contrast to the louder registers of modern sports television. He was known for letting the moment breathe, trusting the pictures and the crowd to carry the drama while his commentary supplied context and calm.

Tributes began circulating quickly among golf and broadcasting figures, many recalling his preparation and generosity toward younger colleagues. Details on memorial arrangements were not immediately available.

Hicks is survived by Storm and their family. He leaves behind a body of work that spanned decades of major championships and Olympic Games, and a local legacy tied to the tournament that made its home in northeast Florida.