Happy Gilmore

Photo by: Bobby Ellis/Ball State University

Photo by: Bobby Ellis/Ball State University

Photo by: Brayden Goins / Ball State Athletics

Photo by: Samantha Blankenship / Ball State University

Photo by: Jack Eads, Ball State Athletics

Photo by: Collin Phillips/Ball State Athletics

Class:
Sophomore
Hometown:
Bloomington, Ind.
Prev School:
Bloomington South HS

Gilmore begins his second year at Ball State while continuing to make a name for himself in college golf ... both his verbal commitment to Ball State, as well as his letter-of-intent signing drew national and international attention in the golf world, largely due to his famous name, but his game on the links has earned attention on its own merit.

"Happy is a super talented kid and probably one of the better ball strikers on the team," said Ball State coach Mike Fleck. "Happ just needs to embrace the opportunity of being more competitive figuring out how to compete against the fields he's going up against. He certainly has the ability, and has shown signs of that. We just need him to compete a little bit more often and continue to push up the roster."

FALL 2025 (So.): Fourteen rounds in the fall produced a 74.21 stroke average, with his best round (68) coming in the opening round of play at the Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational ... best tournament was a +1 showing (77-70-70---217) with two subpar rounds at the Golfweek Fall Challenge in Pawley's Island, South Carolina, where he finished fourth in the Cardinals' lineup ... finished 17th (75-75---150, +8) at the Purdue Fall Individual.

2024-25 (Fr.): Gilmore finished his freshman season with a 74.17 stroke average while completing 23 rounds in his first college season ... his best finishes were third- and fourth-place finishes during individual events in September, in which he finished at even par in both ... his best round was a 67 during the Golfweek "Put Me In Coach" Invitational at Delaware Country Club.

HIGH SCHOOL: Gilmore shot 70-79--149 to finish 11th in the IHSAA state finals as a senior ... prior to arriving at Ball State, he participated in U.S. Open qualifying and the prestigious Southeastern Amateur, playing with new Ball State teammates in each event ... the four-time all-state player finished seventh in the IHSAA finals as a sophomore and eighth as a junior while leading the Panthers to fourth-, sixth-, fourth and eighth-place team finishes, respectively, during his prep career ... in junior golf competitions prior to signing at Ball State, highlights include qualifying for the 2023 United States Junior Amateur Championship by shooting 66 at Delaware Country Club in the local qualifier ... finished as runner-up in Fall 2023 in the Indiana Golf Hoosier Junior Championship (73-70 -143) and finished fourth in an elite international field of players at the Golfweek International Junior Invitational in Orlando, Florida (73-69 - 142).

PERSONAL: Parents are Kim Ellett and Terry Gilmore ... known in the junior golf circles as Happy Gilmore, he was born Landon James Gilmore and the nickname of "Happy" arrived when he won a long drive competition at the Pepsi Little People's Golf Tournament around the age of 9. A spectator called him "Happy," and it stuck.