Among the congratulations Will Zalatoris received Sunday after winning the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship was a message from “Happy Gilmore” himself.
Adam Sandler, a comedic actor and “Saturday Night Live” alum whose 1996 film “Happy Gilmore” was a lovable lampooning of golf and the people who play it, sent his compliments to Zalatoris on Sunday evening.
“Congrats Will! I’m happy for you! Happy’s happy for you! Enjoy it all!” Sandler shared on his Twitter account with photos of Zalatoris along with images from the movie.
So, what’s the connection here?
It started more than a year ago when comparisons to Zalatoris and Happy Gilmore’s first caddie began to circulate on social media.
Zalatoris, then 24, embraced the analogy by having a quote from the character — “Mr. Gilmore I’m your caddy” — engraved in his wedge.
Congrats Will! I’m happy for you! Happy’s happy for you! Enjoy it all! pic.twitter.com/mlfRY2oYmr
— Adam Sandler (@AdamSandler) August 15, 2022
Zalatoris defeated Sepp Straka in a three-hole playoff finish in Memphis on Sunday to notch the first PGA Tour victory of his career.
But this isn’t the first time Sandler has acknowledged the golfer.
Zalatoris was the talk of the Masters in the spring of 2021 with a second-place finish as a rookie, one shot behind Hideki Matsuyama.
Zalatoris (and his uncanny resemblance to Happy Gilmore’s caddie) got the attention of the golf-loving Sandler. The actor tweeted to Zalatoris on the Sunday of the final round in Augusta, Georgia, including a photo of Jared Van Snellenberg, who portrayed the caddie in “Happy Gilmore.”
And Zalatoris replied, in character: “If you’re ever in need of a caddie again let me know. I’ll be better this time. I’m always available for you, Mr. Gilmore.”
