Gary McCord Speaker Biography

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. Seventeen 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 1998, Gary McCord celebrated his 50th birthday by joining the Champions Tour. He took the tour by storm with two impressive wins in 1999, including the Toshiba Senior Classic and Charles Schwab Cup Championship, his first and last events of the year. Over the past few years Gary has continued his excellent play, finally proving himself to be an extremely talented golfer.

Gary has also established himself as a talented author. In January 2006 he released a third edition of the best-selling instructional manual Golf for Dummies and has delighted fans with his autobiographical collection Just a Range Ball in a Box of Titleists. In 2004, Golf for Dummies was also released as an instructional DVD.

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-McCordLearningCenter. 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.

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