A calm sea does not make a good sailor. This ancient proverb describes Gary McCord's approach to his job as golf commentator for CBS Sports. Over the years, he's been referred to as irreverent, witty, approachable, colorful, and delightfully different, and he's one of the few players to successfully make the transition from the golf course to the microphone. McCord, a 25-year Tour veteran, stumbled into broadcasting when a CBS executive asked him to do color commentary by tossing him a headset with 15 minutes to prepare. CBS liked Gary's style under pressure, and he was on his way to a career in broadcasting. He teams up with the very polished Jim Nantz and shares duties with such names as Ken Venturi, Peter Kostis, David Feherty, and others to bring a fresh and professional approach to what's going on in the world of golf. Occasionally, McCord has the opportunity to view the game from the other side of the camera, as a player on the Senior PGA Tour. Despite being under intense pressure, Gary maintains a lighthearted philosophy.
"You just try to get your ball around the course and not hurt anybody. That's my goal," he says. When Gary isn't broadcasting or playing golf, he keeps busy with myriad other projects. He portrayed himself and served as a technical director in the golf movie Tin Cup, starring Kevin Costner and Don Johnson. He has also teamed up with Tin Cup producers Ron Shelton and Gary Foster to write and produce an upcoming film based on the life and times of "Titanic Thompson," a notorious golf gambler. Gary is also an accomplished author, writing the best-selling instructional book Golf For Dummies as well as a collection of essays and stories from his life on the Tour, Just a Range Ball in a Box of Titleists. Gary possesses tremendous teaching ability and instructs and consults with more than 20 Tour players. With his friend and fellow CBS commentator Peter Kostis, he cofounded the Kostis/McCord Learning Center at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.
In all his activities, Gary brings a sense of fun, never taking himself too seriously. He says, "I want to be known as a broadcaster who was a little different, started a new trend, made people look at golf a little differently. I'm not going to compromise myself. I'll continue to push the envelope.".