Timberland work boots and sweatpants on the golf course might not fall within the comfort zone of most, and neither would the comedy of Adam Sandler, for that matter.
And yet, as golf continues with its great PGA Tour–LIV divide, it is Sandler who might have made the biggest statement about all that drama between the dueling leagues over the past three years.
Sandler presented the world his latest love letter to the sport with the recent release of Happy Gilmore 2, and the story within the story is that golf’s biggest stars were more than willing to participate in the project.
John Daly and Will Zalatoris play significant roles, Rickie Fowler shows some comedic chops, and yet within the sophomoric hijinks is a foursome that has been years in the making.
Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler of the PGA Tour, as well as Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau of LIV, come together for the fictional common good. And while we won’t give away the somewhat absurd climactic finish — that includes the kid from The Sixth Sense — just seeing the individual and big-picture rifts pushed aside makes all the beer and hockey-fight jokes worth it.
Can a Sandler project get deep? Maybe not. The McIlroy–Scheffler–Koepka–DeChambeau partnership is obviously no coincidence, although don’t make that the reason you watch. The completely farcical conflict resolution still is the end goal. Hey, it’s Sandler.
The aforementioned golf stars are only a portion of the pros that gave their time to a tale that continues in the outlandish tone of the original Happy Gilmore from 1996. That first one might not have made much sense to the golf world back then, but those who grew up on the original were not about to take a pass on the sequel.
Daly is among those who get top billing in the closing credits, while past and current golfers in the film include Keegan Bradley, Fred Couples, Nick Faldo, Tony Finau, Jim Furyk, Sergio Garcia, Charles Howell III, Hunter Mahan, Collin Morikawa, Jack Nicklaus, Corey Pavin, Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Lee Trevino and Bubba Watson.
Trevino, now 85, and Mark Lye were the only actual golfers to appear in the original. Mahan is Sandler’s swing double in the new film, lending some level of credence to those hop-skip-and-a-jump tee shots.
A myriad of other athletes and musicians lend their star power to the project — Travis Kelce, Reggie Bush, Nelly Korda, Nancy Lopez, Kelsey Plum, Boban Marjanovic, Eminem and Bad Bunny, to name a few.
So if Sandler can bring golf’s big names together following some uncomfortable verbal sparring, then have them make fun of themselves in the company of each other, can he bring the golf world back together again? Eh, probably not.
The PGA Tour and LIV have been trying to find a resolution to their split over the past year and don’t seem to have gotten anywhere. The temperature has cooled, though, which is a feat unto itself.
As the current golf season winds to a conclusion, with the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup playoffs approaching and LIV’s relegation battle about to unfold, an outlandish comedy could end up getting more eyeballs on the sport than the actual competition.
Playoffs in team sports build intensity and gather momentum that captivate fans. Playoffs in individual sports? Not so much. Blame it on a lack of city and regional pride, perhaps. Fans build drama as much as the participants.
But if we can learn anything from a pair of goofy, slapstick golf comedies about a Boston Bruins fan that wanted to play in the NHL but couldn’t skate, it is that you can be reminded of things that you desire from unexpected places.
Maybe McIlroy, Scheffler, Koepka and DeChambeau will duel again on final-round Sundays — and not just in major tournaments — while effectively trying to top each other as they also partner in the big picture.
And then the Happy Gilmore franchise — with its prosthetic hands, an affinity for alligators and a diverse collection of flannel shirts — will have created an added meaning when it comes to foreshadowing.
