It’s 25 years since since one of the most iconic victories in golf history when Happy Gilmore defeated tour favourite Shooter McGavin in the tour championship to win the gold jacket.
Gilmore won himself a place on the tour card following victory at the qualifying round where legend Chubbs Peterson took the unorthodox rookie under his wooden wing.
Peterson recommended Gilmore take a year away from the game to practise but the former hockey player was eager to make money and joined the tour anyway.
Gilmore had a checkered introduction to the golf world after a litany of expletive laden rants and violet outbursts finally came to a head after he got into a fight with Bob Barker at the celebrity Pro-Am.
Video courtesy of Universal via Youtube
A lengthy ban was handed down to Gilmore who was lucky not to be kicked off the tour but a short spell as a Subway brand ambassador helped keep Gilmore’s cashflow alive.
The fiery hockey enthusiast did eventually come back onto the tour and would ultimately become tour champion despite being hit my a car and having to play around a TV tower that blocked Gilmore’s final putt on the 18th.
Video courtesy of Universal/Happy Gilmore via Youtube
To everyone’s surprise Gilmore made the seemingly impossible putt to secure victory only for opponent Shooter McGavin to steal his gold jacket which he subsequently got back.