I’m sure you remember the Adam Sandler classic Happy Gilmore, a movie about a hockey player-turned-golfer who enters a golf tournament to win money to save his grandmother’s home. You can even argue that it is Sandler’s best movie because of his humorous antics and signature over-the-top anger moments on the course. Now, that name is considered iconic, and it turns out there’s a real golfer named Happy Gilmore who just made his college team, so obviously the SNL alum had to congratulate him.
They say, “If the shoe fits, wear it.” You can apply that quote to the real-life Happy Gilmore whose nickname was inspired by the Universal Pictures comedy. Not only does this 17-year-old Indiana native have a talent for golf, and the perfect name to go with it, but he also got accepted to Ball State University’s Cardinals golf team for 2024. As you can imagine, Adam Sandler couldn’t hold back his reaction to this student’s incredible news so he took to Twitter:
Go get em Happy. Pulling for you. https://t.co/4o4LOoAWDNJune 23, 2023
The touched real-life Happy Gilmore responded back to the Billy Madison star with, “My life is complete.” With that type of encouragement, this up-in-coming college golfer will surely be going big as he grips it and rips it on the Ball State University golf course.
According to Golf Channel, Landon “Happy” Gilmore started using his nickname back when he was 9 years old after winning a long-drive contest at the Pepsi Little People’s Tournament. One year later, he was entering tournaments with the name “Happy.” This rising senior at Bloomington South High has accomplished a lot over the last couple of years. He was the 2020 Hurricane Junior Tour player of the year, and he finished runner-up at the Indiana State Junior last year. He also helped his high school finish fourth in a couple of golf tournaments and he finished seventh place individually.
It shouldn’t come as too much of a shocker that 2024’s Cardinals golfer has said that he knows every line of Happy Gilmore and will never get tired of one of Adam Sandler’s top classics. So, as you can imagine he was blown away when the comedian retweeted his announcement, as he told the Golf Channel:
When I saw that Adam Sandler retweeted my tweet, my little heart kind of fell apart there. I was speechless and didn't really know what to do with myself for a minute.
This sports comedy movie also remains a special project for Adam Sandler. While skeptical about a Happy Gilmore 2, the 50 First Dates actor did have a sweet idea for a sequel that involved him and his arrogant rival, Scooter, returning to the green for a senior golf tournament. He also made sure to celebrate the movie’s 25th anniversary a couple of years ago by taking a swing yet again to see if he’s still got it. And yes, he’s still a “dead shooter.” Maybe if a sequel ever does come into play, Sandler can recruit the real-life Happy Gilmore for a cameo. I’m sure that would really make his life.
As of right now, Happy Gilmore is focusing on next week's Indiana State Boys Match Play and other future events. Of course, he’s also looking forward to school and helping his team get to nationals. With Adam Sandler’s post cheering him on, I’m confident this young golfer will achieve his dreams with a golf club in his hands. You can watch Happy Gilmore right now on your Amazon Prime subscription.
