Adam Sandler, known for one of his most infamous roles as Happy Gilmore in the 1996 comedy, took to Twitter to give a shout-out to a teen golfer who also goes by the same iconic name.
“Go get em Happy,” the Murder Mystery 2 actor wrote on Friday. “Pulling for you.”
Sandler’s praise comes after the high schooler shared on social media that he has committed to the Ball State University golf program.
“I am very excited to announce that I have committed to continue my academic and golf career at Ball State University,” he wrote. “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!”
In the Dennis Dugan-directed film, Sandler’s character, a rejected hockey player, realizes that he may have a talent for a completely different sport: golf. After learning that his grandmother is about to lose her house, he joins a golf tournament to put his skills to the test on the course and trys to win enough money to save her house.
Last year, Gilmore, whose real name is Landon, told The Indianapolis Star that he adopted “Happy” as a nickname when he started playing in golf tournaments at about six years old.
“My mom said it was before this, but I really remember it when I was like 9 years old,” he said to the newspaper. “Then, when I was like 13, I started going by ‘Happy’ all the time.”
The teen said he never fails to get a reaction from someone when he introduces himself for the first time. “They will look at me funny,” he added. “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.”
Gilmore also noted that he can actually do Sandler’s iconic swing from the film, but that he has not practiced it recently. “I haven’t done it for a while so I’m probably a little bit rusty,” he explained. “But just give me a couple of balls, and I can usually make pretty good contact.”
