“I do think we need to be looking at nontraditional ways of promoting the tournament, but more so promoting golf,” he said. “A few years ago we had Dude Perfect playing frisbee at Amen Corner. In retrospect, I like those guys, but that may not have been the best idea.”
Later that day, Bryson DeChambeau – who else? – caused a stir at the Par 3 Contest when he introduced Hollywood megastar Kevin Hart as his caddie for the hit-and-giggle on the world’s most famous short course.
Now, this is nothing new. The Masters pre-curser has become more and more of a relaxed affair in recent decades, with jumpsuit-clad wives and children taking the focus from the players for a few hours on Wednesday afternoon. And Hart is hardly the first A-list celebrity to get involved. (Who can forget pop star Niall Horan – then of boyband One Direction – slipping in the pines while carrying Rory McIlroy’s bag during the 2015 Par 3 Contest?)
Despite that, DeChambeau’s use of Hart, who is an arena-level stand-up comic as well as starring in billion-dollar blockbusters alongside the likes of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, caused quite the stir this year – notably among the traditionalists, who say the two-time US Open champion was cheapening the Masters showpiece.
It wasn’t the first time Hart had caddied for DeChambeau. The actor had appeared on his new friend’s YouTube channel last summer which led to this moment at Augusta.
“He’s gotten into it the past seven months and he’s become a superstar on his own right on the greens,” DeChambeau said of Hart ahead of the Par 3 Contest. “We said let’s do something fun together and so I helped him round the golf course, he became a really good caddie and now he’s got the job in the Par-3 Contest.”
And it looks like DeChambeau is planning on going one step further in 2026.
In an appearance on the Katie Miller Podcast, the host asked him about his favorite celebrity golfers. After a brief mention of his love of Bill Murray and Caddyshack, DeChambeau immediately turned his attention to Adam Sandler.
“I got to play with Adam Sandler and do a Break 50 with him,” DeChambeau explained.
Then, of course, the small matter of playing a small supporting role in Happy Gilmore 2.
“Oh my gosh, I was lucky,” DeChambeau gushed. “I can’t believe I was a part of that. That was definitely a pinch-me moment.”
Then the kicker.
“It would be sick if he caddied for me in the Par 3 Contest next year at Augusta. That’d be pretty cool. Having Happy on the bag would be funny.”
Happy Gilmore at the Masters? A penny for Mr Ridley’s thoughts on that one…
