Never forget that Shooter McGavin blew a 4-shot lead on the back 9!
It's 26 years ago today that Happy Gilmore completed one of the great sporting comebacks in living memory, when he defeated his rival McGavin on the 18th hole.
Gilmore was nothing but a novice on the circuit and the start of his season suggested that his incredible swing would be nothing more than a sideshow.
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McGavin on the other hand was collecting trophies left, right and centre all season, whilst all his eventual rival was doing was fighting with Bob Barker.
However, by the time of the Tour Championship, Gilmore was in contention for wins with 'Shooter,' and at the showpiece he really came back, with his putting really improving.
Of course, it's Gilmore's swing that really set him apart from the pack and last year, to celebrate 25 years since he won, he proved that he still had it. Does anyone think he looks like famous comedy actor Adam Sandler or is it just me?
The story of his comeback is the one that really takes the headlines, after all McGavin looked to be in an unassailable lead going into the back nine.
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However it's worth remembering that Gilmore wasn't even a golfer by trade, until the year that he would end up being the tour champion.
The American started life as an ice hockey player, and the aggression really showed across the fairways and greens, but failed to make it as a professional.
His incredible drive got him through the door, but as anyone knows it's not enough to win titles in golf, just ask Lee Westwood, whose putting has been the difference to him being the nearly man of the sport of a multiple time major winning.
It was Gilmore's work with legendary coach Chubbs Peterson that turned his fortunes around, it was a stroke of genius to employ Peterson really.
Peterson a great golfer in his own right in his earlier years, had stepped away from the sport after losing his hand in a bizarre incident on course, during a fight with an alligator.
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The relationship between golfer and coach was never perfect but Gilmore gave Peterson a new lease of life, and even killed the alligator in revenge for his mentor.
Unfortunately Chubbs passed away after Gilmore gave him the 'gators' head as a present.
Gilmore also overcame a working class background to break into a sport that is generally dominated by the middle classes, with the PGA's PR machine seeing an opportunity in the brash youngster.
26 years on, no matter how you look at it, Happy Gilmore's comeback victory over Shooter McGavin still brings so much joy to us all.
Featured Image Credit: TwitterTopics: Golf
