Gary McCord, Golfer and Broadcaster
Full name: Gary Dennis McCord
Date and place of birth: May 23, 1948, in San Gabriel, California
Significant Wins
- 1999 Toshiba Senior Classic
- 1999 Senior Tour Championship
Both those victories were on the Champions Tour. McCord also won once on the Ben Hogan Tour.
In the Majors
Gary McCord played in one major, the PGA Championship, and played that one just four times total. He made the cut once.
Notable Notes: Gary McCord turnd pro in 1971 (after winning the NCAA Division II national championship in 1970), and spent 15 years as a golf journeyman. He never won on the PGA Tour in 387 starts, finishing second twice and in the Top 10 24 times. ... He once scored 16 on a single hole.
McCord had much better success on the Champions Tour, where he posted two victories and earned nearly $5 million. That was despite playing only part-time due to his broadcasting duties with CBS Sports.
McCord began working on CBS' golf broadcasts in 1986, and quickly became a lightning rod for both praise and condemnation. He was irreverant, sometimes outrageous or outspoken, often funny — none of which set well with some golf traditionalists. Tom Watson wrote a letter to CBS asking that McCord be fired. Augusta National Golf Club banned McCord from covering The Masters the year after McCord quipped about the 17th green, "They don't mow this green, they bikini wax it," and referred to mounding at Augusta hiding "body bags."
McCord went to the same high school as actor and comedian Steve Martin, whose interest in magic kindled McCord's own interest in magic. McCord has a 45-minute magic show that he sometimes performs at corporate events. ... Among those staking McCord's early years on the PGA Tour was bandleader Lawrence Welk. ... Had a cameo in the movie Tin Cup , for which he was technical consultant. ... Has authored several books and hosted an instructional DVD (watch below). ... Operates golf schools with his CBS broadcasting colleague Peter Kostis. ... McCord and Kostis were both let go by CBS Sports prior to their 2020 broadcasting schedule.
