Zalatoris will appear in upcoming ‘Happy Gilmore 2’

PALM HARBOR, Fla. – Will Zalatoris has watched the 1996 golf comedy “Happy Gilmore” more times than he can count, including recently as he prepared for his acting debut in the long-awaited sequel again starring Adam Sandler as the hockey player-turned-golfer.

Zalatoris’ favorite character of course is Gilmore’s caddie, to whom he has long been compared by friends and media alike. That resemblance has stood the test of time and it will come full circle this summer when Zalatoris appears in “Happy Gilmore 2,” slated for a Netflix release on July 25.

This week’s Valspar Championship offers players a chance to customize their caddies’ bibs, a colorful twist at the TOUR’s longtime stop outside Tampa. Zalatoris leaned into the bit, selecting “Gilmores Caddie” for his caddie’s blue bib on Thursday afternoon.

Zalatoris opened in even-par 71 at Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead Course, then took to the podium to reflect on his upcoming appearance in “Happy Gilmore 2,” an experience that has bordered on the surreal for the 28-year-old who carries a wry sense of humor that should neatly match Sandler’s style in the film.

“I had a good giggle when they asked me what I wanted to put on the back of my caddie bib and I sent it to Adam (Sandler) and he loved it,” Zalatoris said Thursday. “It was a blast (filming). So the beauty of it is if you think my acting is terrible, well I'm not an actor, so that's fine.

“I've never taken a drama class in my life, I had no idea what I was doing, but basically they said, ‘Act like a moron as much as you possibly can,’ and I said, ‘Well, that's pretty easy for me.’ It was a really fun time and hopefully everybody enjoys it when it comes out.”

Zalatoris is among several TOUR pros who are slated to appear in the “Happy Gilmore” sequel. He’ll be joined by Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy and Keegan Bradley, among others. None of them have as unique a connection, though, as Zalatoris, whose ascent into pro golf’s upper echelon has included lighthearted comparisons to Gilmore’s caddie at various junctures. Zalatoris broke into golf’s mainstream when he contended at the 2021 Masters (still a Korn Ferry Tour member at the time), and before the final round, Sandler posted on X, “Have fun today young man. Mr. Gilmore is watching you and very proud.” Zalatoris proceeded to finish second, his first of three runner-up finishes in major championships.

“I won the Collegiate Showcase in 2015 (at) the now-Genesis Invitational, and I had, typical college kid, hadn't gotten a haircut in about five or six months, and Golf Channel posted a photo after I won the Showcase, and somebody mentioned it and immediately it picked up,” Zalatoris said of the longtime comparison to Gilmore’s caddie. “So, yeah, I've laughed at it. A couple of buddies that I've known for a long time have always kind of compared me to that kid too, especially when I had the longer hair when I first came out here. So, yeah, I'm glad – I had to pinch myself when we were filming it; it was pretty cool.”

Zalatoris’ favorite line from the original – “Where you going with those clubs, punk?" – was posed by Gilmore to his caddie. Perhaps the line will return in the sequel.