GARY MCCORD – PRO GOLFER & CBS COMMENTATOR

“Life is full of ups and downs, good and bad, but it wouldn’t be fun any other way.” Living his life by this optimistic philosophy, Gary McCord persisted through years of mediocrity before finding great success in many aspects of the world of golf. An outstanding player, announcer, instructor, author, speaker, and even actor, Gary McCord has become a golf celebrity.

Gary McCord is well known for enduring 23 years and 422 tournaments on the PGA Tour without nabbing a single victory. A man of good humor, he boasted a “NO WINS” license plate for years to poke fun at his own less-than-glamorous career as a professional golfer.

“Trapped in the headlights of bankruptcy,” as he liked to describe it, McCord pursued other avenues of golf, and found himself launched into the world of broadcasting. He scored big when a CBS executive tossed him a headset and asked him to do commentary – giving him only 15 minutes to prepare. A friend of failure, McCord jumped in with no fear and impressed CBS with his performance. Twenty seven years later, Gary is still providing color commentary for CBS. Fans and critics alike praise him for his knowledgeable perspective, refreshing humor, and sometimes irreverent wit towards a game that is known for taking itself too seriously.

In 1999, Gary McCord joined the Champions Tour and took it by storm. He won the first and last events of the year – the Toshiba Senior Classic and Ingersoll-Rand Senior Tour Championship. Over the past few years Gary has continued his excellent play, proving himself to be an extremely talented golfer.

Gary has also established himself as a talented author. The fourth edition of his best-selling instructional manual Golf for Dummies was released in January 2011. McCord also worked with Wiley to convert the manual into an instructional DVD in 2004 and a popular app for smart phones in 2011. And Gary delighted fans with his autobiographical collection, Just a Range Ball in a Box of Titleists.

Non-golfers might recognize McCord for his appearance in the Kevin Costner movie, Tin Cup, in which Gary played himself and served as a technical director. In preparation for the movie, Gary gave Costner golf lessons along with Peter Kostis, a friend, fellow CBS announcer, and co-founder of the Kostis-McCord Learning Center. Gary enjoyed his taste of Hollywood so much that he is now helping write and produce an upcoming film based on the life of golfer/gambler “Titanic” Thompson and is also working on a pilot for an upcoming television sitcom.

Gary plans to maintain his busy schedule by playing on the Champions Tour, broadcasting for CBS, working on various creative projects, speaking at corporate outings, and enjoying the “ups and downs” of his very busy, very fun life.