Happy Gilmore has officially committed to play college golf at Ball State University.
No, not that one.
It turns out there’s an actual Indiana high school golfer who goes by Happy Gilmore who, kinda-sorta like his namesake, is great on the links. The senior at Bloomington South High School will take his talents north and join the Cardinals, who are coming off a second-place finish in this year’s MAC Conference Tournament.
It’s a solid pickup for Ball State — an all-state talent capable of shooting even par or better under the brightest spotlights high school golf has to offer. But let’s be honest; the only reason we’re talking about this (legitimately impressive) guy is because his name rules.
I am very excited to announce that I have committed to continue my academic and golf career at Ball State University. I am very grateful for the opportunity Coach Fleck has given me! I would like to thank my family, my friends and coaches who push me everyday! @BallStateMGolf pic.twitter.com/nz36to47J2
— Happy Gilmore ⛳️ (@happygilmore_44) June 23, 2023
Alright, what do we need to know about Happy Gilmore 2.0?
No, his given name isn't "Happy"
It’s Landon. But he started golfing when he was six and, well, it was an easy nickname to place. So now he goes by “Happy.” It’s even monogrammed on his golf bag.
Around the time he was 13 years old the nickname really started taking off. Which makes sense, because 13 years old is the exact age for maximum enjoyment of early Adam Sandler.
He's never played a lick of hockey in his life
Since golf was his first love, Gilmore has resisted the urge to step on the ice. “I can’t skate,” he told the Indianapolis Star’s Kyle Neddenriep in 2022.
He's got solid power off the tee (and yep, he can do the Happy swing)
“I’m pretty long (off the tee),” he told Neddenriep. “Here lately I’ve been struggling with my driver, but typically I’m very good off the tee and my putting is usually pretty good. I’ve been working hard on getting my wedges up because my irons are decent, but my strong suits are definitely off the tee and off the green.”
But as for the signature walk-in hammer off the tee? Per his own Twitter account:
He's better than roughly 98 percent of the golfers out there
He shot 66 at a recent U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier and is ranked among the top 500 junior boys’ rankings, per Golfweek.
That said, he's still capable of some extremely relatable performances
before anything is said. Yes, i have put my application in at the snack bar. pic.twitter.com/C87aH7cZkH
— Happy Gilmore ⛳️ (@happygilmore_44) April 25, 2023
Been there, brother. Never at a course nice enough to host a U.S. Open qualifier though. And instead of writing “10” I usually just throw in a frowny face.
Because my score is actually a 15.
