Gary McCord could have been playing a muni in Muncie and still have a smile below his trademark handlebar mustache. The fact he is swinging his sticks in Honolulu at this week’s Pacific Links Hawaii Championship makes it that much better at this inaugural Champions Tour event.

The longtime broadcaster for CBS Sports shot a respectable 3-under 69 in Friday’s opening round to tie for ninth, four shots off the pace of first-round leader Peter Senior.

"It’s sunshiny and windy, welcome to Honolulu," McCord said after exiting the scorer’s tent beside the ninth hole. "It’s fun playing anywhere. I only get to play out here two times a year. I played earlier in the year at Newport Beach (T-64th, 10 over).

"I’ve been on the road with CBS like forever. It’s wonderful to come out here and make it fit my schedule. I’m between two outings. They got me in here (on a sponsor’s exemption). Perfect."

McCord started on the 10th with playing partners Duffy Waldorf (68) and Ronnie Black (74). After bogeying the par-4 13th, McCord birdied the par-5 14th to get back to even and then birdied 17 and 18 to go out in 34.

The momentum he got from those back-to-back birdies left him on the par-5 opening hole (his 10th). He settled for par, parred the next and then bogeyed the par-4 third. Long birdie putts at seven and nine took the sting out of the bogeys. He even did a little Chi Chi Rodriguez imitation when his birdie putt of 25 feet found the cup at the last.

"That was a little Chi Chi and a little of my own," McCord said to those gathered at the ninth. "I had a little lightning in my putter."

So, how does a guy 64 years old, who only plays tournament golf twice a year, come out to Hawaii and pull a 69 out of his bag? It’s not as if he’s tournament tough.

"I have a lot of idiot buddies who like to gamble," McCord said. "I’d better be playing good or I’m going to lose what CBS is giving me."

But it’s more than that. McCord likes to hang out with golfers his own age as well.

"I got to see the guys," said McCord, who lost to Hale Irwin in a playoff here at Turtle Bay in 2002. "That’s kind of what it is. At my age, that’s all it is. Come to see the guys and make sure the old ones aren’t dead like me yet."

As for commentating, does McCord leave that in the CBS tower or bring it with him out on the course?

"No, no, no, no, no," said McCord, who hit only 10 greens in regulation but managed just 26 putts.

"The commentator stays home," he said. "You go right to choking your guts out. This catches your attention. You want to shoot a good score. You’re not supposed to, but you don’t want to make an idiot out of yourself. You try way too hard. I just tried way too hard at times. Yeah, I did make some nice putts. It was fine. No complaints on that front whatsoever."