Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Lindsay Traves | Film | July 29, 2025
The jewel of the Adam Sandler Netflix deal has finally arrived in the form of a sequel to his best (fight me) movie of all time, Happy Gilmore. Almost thirty years since the story of a failed hockey player turned scrappy professional golfer, Gilmore is back on our screens, this time as a washed-up widow struggling to raise his top line- uh- five kids. Desperate for the money to send his promising young daughter to the dance school of her dreams, a Happy who hasn’t touched a club since accidentally killing his wife shakes the dust off his set and tries to get back in the game. The story of the underdog is back, scrappier, and stupider than ever, and this time boasts the kind of clout to get even bigger and better cameos. And while the cameos are plentiful, what’s even better is that the movie used plenty of them for inside jokes and gags that allow professional athletes to dunk on themselves, get some prime screentime, and wink at the sports fans lining up to watch a sequel to one of the all-time greatest sports movies.
Here are the best ones.
Will Zalatoris was Happy’s Caddy
One of the early bits in the original Happy Gilmore comes by way of the not-in-the-know Gilmore not bringing a caddie on the tour. At the “Waterbury Open,” Happy is no longer supported by Otto, the man Happy scoops up to be his last minute caddy, and instead is assigned a scrawny blonde kid. The pair have their ups and downs, Happy dancing with him to celebrate, and choking him like he’s Bart Simpson after errors.
The blonde caddy in the first film was played by Jared Van Snellenberg, but he bears a striking resemblance to pro golfer, Will Zalatoris.
When Zalatoris competed in the Masters in 2021, people noticed his resemblance, even prompting Sandler to tweet, “Have fun today young man. Mr. Gilmore is watching you and very proud.” Zalatoris apparently had heard about his resemblance a good amount, and even had “Mr. Gilmore, I’m your caddy,” written on his lob wedge.
Changing canon for the lulz, Happy Gilmore 2 has Zalarotis playing himself as a professional golfer, but telling Happy that he was once his caddy. This sets off Zalarotis showing earned spite towards Happy and whispering rageful comments under his breath. It’s one of the better knowing gags in the flick.
Boban as Mr. Larson’s Son
How can we forget the iconic Mr. Larson and his protruding nail? An iconic member of Happy’s loyal pals, the former construction boss is the true muscle keeping Shooter McGavin physically away from Mr. Gilmore. Unfortunately, Richard Dawson Kiel, who played Mr. Larson passed away in 2014. Not forgetting about him, Happy Gilmore 2 brings him back via his “son.”
Answering the call to step into the role of the friendly giant is former NBA star, Boban Marjanović. Boban (or Bobbi) is one of the better characters to grace the NBA and was the perfect fit for the large smile clad giant who is firmly on Happy Gilmore’s side. (And if you need some joy, look up some of his old vids with Tobias Harris- Bobbi and Tobi forever.
Scottie Scheffler’s Arrest
Golf fans are likely to remember the recent wild moment in PGA Championship history. On his way to the second round of the tournament, Scottie Scheffler was arrested by police after trying to make his way around a police barricade following a tragic incident.
There was a bit of a kerfuffle that you can read up on, which resulted in Scheffler being arrested and facing charges of “second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic.” He was released shortly after, the whole incident characterized as a “misunderstanding.” He went on to place second in the tournament.
About a year after that “misunderstanding,” Scheffler is back playing in the fictional tournament in Happy Gilmore 2, thus setting up the gag where he’s arrested on the course and laments, “not again!”
Traves Kelce and His Dad
Other lists and an IMDb egg hunt are going to fill you in on the many, MANY cameos in this sequel from pro golfers, to hockey players, to musicians, to SNL alum, sportscasters, and the like. Paige Spiranac even appears as a retail employee. But one of the more noticeable chunks of meat playing someone other than themselves is Travis Kelce as the intense server (who is hard on Happy’s new caddy played by Bad Bunny). And while it’s easy to get caught up in whether Travis did enough to prove to audiences that he is deserving of those acting roles, the real Kelce to watch is Ed.
In a blink-and-you-might-miss-it moment, Ed Kelce, father of Travis and Jason, makes a brief appearance in a gold jacket as a member of the club of elite golfers with titles in the world of Happy Gilmore.
Nelly Korda and Nancy Lopez Join Tim Herlihy on the Parole Board
Yes, I just skimmed by all of the cameos in a quick paragraph up top but there are still some worth mentioning on the side. Yes, most sports fans will spend a lot of this movie looking like the Leo Pointing Meme, and that’s especially true when Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald) is sitting before a sort-of parole board at the mental institution where he’s been locked up since the events of the first movie.
Sitting chained up like Sideshow Bob and Michael Meyers before him, Shooter is peppered with questions about his current mental state and ongoing rage against Mr. Gilmore. Those asking the questions before deciding what to grab for lunch? Nelly Korda, a golfer currently on the LPGA tour, Nancy Lopez, a former LPGA golfer who won three major championships, and Tim Herlihy, who co-wrote many of Sandler’s flicks including this one.
Happy Gilmore 2 is now available to watch on Netflix
