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By Jack Bantock, CNN
2 minute read
Published 4:01 AM EDT, Tue June 27, 2023
Adam Sandler: Who else could begin a list of celebrity golfers? As the star of one of the sport's most memorable movies, Sandler has continued the "Happy Gilmore" legacy with a host of Pro-Am appearances. Even the film's antagonist Shooter McGavin, played by Christopher McDonald, is still a regular face on the fairways.
Michael Jordan: Any sports fan who has watched "The Last Dance" will know MJ's passion for golf is well-documented. As a college junior, the future NBA legend became hooked after playing a round with fellow University of North Carolina alumni -- and future PGA Championship winner -- Davis Love III. In 2019, Jordan opened his very own course in Florida, The Grove XXIII -- the roman numerals a nod to his iconic No. 23 jersey.
Justin Timberlake: The singer and actor has been bringing "SexyBack" to golf for decades. Pictures of JT strutting his stuff at tournaments date back to 2002, and he is a common face at the PGA Tour's Pebble Beach Pro-Am events.
Catherine Zeta-Jones: The academy-award winning Welsh actress has competed at Pro-Am's across the globe alongside fellow acting -- and golfing -- husband, Michael Douglas. Reportedly playing off a 22-handicap, the Chicago star told one British talk show host in 2016 that if Douglas fails to clear the ladies tee with his drives, he has to take his pants off as a forfeit.
Tom Brady: One of many NFL players known to enjoy swapping the gridiron for the four-iron, the seven-time Super Bowl champion is a keen golfer. After two defeats, Brady finally registered his first "The Match" victory in June after pairing with Aaron Rodgers to defeat Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes in the all-quarterback, sixth edition of the event [pictured].
Macklemore: Taking his audacious style from the Thrift Shop to the fairways, the Grammy-award winning rapper is a keen player with his very own golf clothing line, Bogey Boys. Last year, he spoke with CNN about his "scary addiction" to the game.
Jessica Alba: The Hollywood actress is a known golf enthusiast, and in 2014 went searching for an Alba-tross at the Mission Hills Celebrity golf Pro-Am on the Southern Chinese island of Hainan [pictured].
Niall Horan: There's only One Direction the ball is going when the Irish singer-songwriter is at the tee. A regular presence at DP World Tour events, the former boy band star is the founder of the Modest! Golf Management agency.
Tom Holland: Part-time web-slinger, full-time golf swinger -- the "Spider-Man" lead is a self-confessed golf addict. The English actor has made no secret of his love for the game as a stress release from Hollywood life, and surprised onlookers with some booming drives at the BMW PGA Championship Pro-Am in 2021 [pictured].
Stephen Curry: The three-point king of the NBA is also a highly-proficient par-three shooter. An avid golfer and regular Pro-Am competitor, in April the Golden State Warriors icon launched an all-expenses paid golf tour for underrepresented young players.
Celine Dion: Her iconic theme for a film about a sinking ship is known worldwide, but her penchant for sinking putts is one of the less well-known aspects of the Canadian singer's glittering life. Alongside late husband René Angélil, Dion owned Le Mirage Golf Club in Terrebonne, Quebec, for 23 years before announcing its sale in 2020.
Miles Teller: The "Whiplash" star won plaudits for his charismatic performance as Rooster in 2022's "Top Gun: Maverick," and the actor looked to have channeled that same energy into a compelling showing at the American Century Championship at Tahoe in July [pictured].
Alice Cooper: Widely regarded as one of the most talented celebrity golfers, the former rock star is as menacing a sight for competitors as he was on stage. Cooper has authored multiple books on the game, including "Golf Monster: How a Wild Rock'n'roll Life Led to a Serious Golf Addiction," in which he claims he is on the course 300 days a year.
Kathryn Newton: She shot to fame with roles in "Big Little Lies" and "Paranormal Activity," but the American actress almost shot her way to the LPGA Tour as a highly-talented young player. Growing up on a course in Florida, Newton broke several high-school golfing records and had planned to attempt qualification for the 2012 US Open, before pulling out due to acting commitments.
Meat Loaf: Flying down the fairway Like a Bat Out of Hell, the rock front-man has played several celebrity golf events, including the televised, Ryder Cup-style All Star Cup at Celtic Manor, Wales in 2006, where his American side suffered defeat to Team Europe [pictured].
The celebrities with a love for golf
CNN —
Happy Gilmore is heading to college. But nope, there’s no prequel film on the way – this is for real.
Born Landon Gilmore, a 17-year-old Indiana golfer has effectively gone by the name “Happy” since, just over a decade ago, he won a long-drive competition – like his namesake in the titular 1996 comedy film.
On Friday, the Bloomington High School senior announced on Twitter that he had committed to Indiana’s Ball State University, continuing his pursuit of a career in the professional game.
And that caught the attention of the original Happy Gilmore, Adam Sandler.
“Go get em Happy. Pulling for you,” the actor, who has played at various Pro-Am events, tweeted in response to Gilmore’s post.
In February, Gilmore told CNN it would be a dream to one day meet Sandler. Unsurprisingly then, Sandler’s message was well received by the teen, who replied: “My life is complete.”
“When I saw that Adam Sandler retweeted my tweet, my little heart kind of fell apart there,” Gilmore told Golf Channel.
“I was speechless and didn’t really know what to do with myself for a minute.”
Amid a wave of engagement sparked by Sandler’s response, the PGA Tour University – a program that aims to give top college players a route into its developmental tours – tweeted that it was “monitoring the situation.”
Though Sandler’s tweet rocketed Gilmore to viral fame on Friday, the youngster is a well-known name on the Indiana junior golf circuit.
National Hurricane Player of the Year in 2020, he has collected a flurry of accolades during his time at Bloomington High, making the Indiana All-State team in back-to-back seasons.
He attempted to qualify for the US Open for the second year in a row in April, entering a local qualifying event at Hawthorns Golf and Country Club in Indianapolis.
Unfortunately for Gilmore, he again fell short on “golf’s longest day”, shooting 16-over par and, after posting a picture of his scorecard, subsequently joking that he had applied for a job at the snack bar.
Playing under coach Mike Fleck with the Ball State Cardinals, Gilmore is hoping to take his game to the next level.
“I just want to play good golf and see what happens,” he said to Golf Channel.
“I’m sure once I get there my goals will change. I’m so competitive, I want to get there and play, and hopefully help the team get to nationals.”
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