Happy Gilmore, high school golf star, draws Adam Sandler's attention after college commitment
An Indiana high school golf standout named Happy Gilmore committed to play golf at Ball State on Friday.
Not only does the Bloomington South High School senior share the same name as Adam Sandler's lead character in the beloved 1996 movie Happy Gilmore, a slapstick comedy about a boisterous failed hockey player who chases pro golf winnings to save his grandmother's house.
Gilmore's commitment announcement also drew widespread attention on social media Friday and reached Sandler himself. The actor responded Gilmore's announcement.
"Go get em Happy," Sandler wrote. "Pulling for you."
Gilmore replied: "My life is complete."
The real-life Gilmore also is quite the stick himself. He is a three-time top-20 finisher at the IHSAA state tournament and turned heads as a teenager in a U.S. Open Qualifier in 2022. He finished in the top 10 at state as a freshman and a junior.
Gilmore's government name is Landon. According to a 2022 profile by the Indianapolis Star, Gilmore adopted the nickname as a 6-year-old playing in golf tournaments and it stuck.
“Sometimes, when I first introduce myself, they will look at me funny,” Gilmore told the newspaper. “But if my golf bag is there and has my name on it, that will kind of help a little bit. But it never fails. At some point they will ask me, ‘Is that your real name?’ or ‘How did you get that name?’ Something along those lines.”
As a freshman, Gilmore tied for eighth place at the IHSAA state meet.
Friday isn't the first time the real-life Happy Gilmore has gone viral. He was interviewed by ESPN in May 2022 while playing in a U.S. Open Qualifier in Indianapolis, which drew the attention of a well-followed parody account for Scooter McGavin, Gilmore's foe in the 1996 movie.
The real-life Gilmore shot an impressive 80 and fell short of qualifying.
In the movie, Gilmore deployed a signature swing that included a running head start. For those wondering, the real-life Gilmore's Twitter bio confirms: he can do the swing.
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