A weird year for Happy Gilmore's funniest cameo star

New York Times

4 days ago

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Good morning! Eventually, some putts will fall for you today.
Of the dozens of celebrity cameos in 'Happy Gilmore 2,' I found Nelly Korda's to be the funniest. Most of the elite golfers who appeared in the film were playing themselves as, well, golfers. But there is Korda, the No. 1 player in women's golf. She appears on a parole board of sorts, denying the release of Shooter McGavin, Happy Gilmore's onetime nemesis and the former best player on a fictional golf tour, from a mental hospital. Also there: Nancy Lopez, who shares a page in the history books with Korda.
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The throwaway cameo almost felt ironic in juxtaposition with this fascinating moment in her career. In 2024, nobody could touch Korda. Beginning with her second start of the year, in January, she reeled off five wins in a row, joining Lopez (1978) and Annika Sorenstam (2004, 2005) in a tiny club of five-in-a-row winners. The last of those five was Korda's second major title, at the Chevron Championship. She added two wins later on. Golf nuts have long appreciated Korda, her success and her unbelievable swing. Now 27, she's become a more mainstream star, a golf version of her pro-am partner, Caitlin Clark.
Korda's 2025 has been funky, though. Today is the final round of the Women's Open, the fifth and last major of the ladies' season. Korda didn't really contend, but made the cut. That Korda (or any player) would finish the year majorless is not such a shock, but a bit more surprising is that she'll be winless altogether in 13 starts.
Has Korda declined, then? A little, but we're grading on a ridiculous curve. Entering the Women's Open, Korda was averaging2.31 strokes gained on the field per round. That's not the 2.84-shot advantage she posted in 2024, but it's still a top-three figure on the LPGA Tour. For good reason, she still draws a crowd unlike anyone else on tour.
I asked Gabby Herzig, who has covered Korda for The Athletic, what she makes of Nelly's season:
💬 Korda's season is basically the epitome of why professional golf is such an endless pursuit. You can win five consecutive titles, and then just a few months later, it can feel impossible to come out on top. But in this sport, the win percentage is miniscule. Looking at Korda's season, I still see five top-seven finishes, including two runner-ups, and zero missed cuts. One hot putting day or a few good bounces could easily have changed how we're discussing her season. Korda is still the best player in the world (I know Lottie Woad is on the rise, but she has a ways to go), and her winless season isn't an indicator of anything to me, other than how difficult it is to achieve excellence in this game.
The golf gods will grant Korda parole from her winless streak soon enough.
Connecticut Sun moving to Boston
The Sun have reportedly been sold to Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca in a record $325 million deal that is set to see the franchise move from Connecticut to Boston as soon as 2027. The Athletic reported in March the Sun were exploring a sale, and it seemed like a foregone conclusion the team would wind up in Boston at some point. In response to yesterday's reports, however, the WNBA pumped the brakes on any relocation talks. Read our full report.
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Speedway Classic suspended
The Braves and Reds endured a two-hour-plus rain delay, played less than an inning and then shut down once again in the first MLB Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway last night. The game is scheduled to resume at 1 p.m. ET today. But it was a logistical nightmare for the much-anticipated showdown, which sold more than 85,000 tickets. At least Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson got to display his custom Ricky Bobby catching gear.
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This is the game Meg Linehan picked in her Pulse takeover last Monday. A resurgent Portland versus a Washington side that's getting Trinity Rodman back on the field.
MLB: Tigers at Phillies | 7:10 p.m. ET on ESPN
The Tigers had a lousy back half of July, but they remain on cruise control in the AL Central. They'll face a tough test in the form of the Phillies' Christopher Sánchez, who goes against newly acquired Tiger Charlie Morton.
Get tickets to games like these here.
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Breaking for my usual esoteric ephemera to weigh in on a low-brow indulgence: Was 'Happy Gilmore 2' good? No. Was it stupid? Very yes. Was it also a Trojan horse of nostalgia from a time when bad-and-stupid movies were exactly what we all loved? Absolutely. This movie was terrible, but terrible in a way that meant I thoroughly enjoyed it. — Levi Weaver
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'Expedition 33' is gonna win all the game-of-the-year awards. Second play-through loaded with fun foreshadowing. French existentialist fun, at least. — Jason Kirk
Jason Jones explains how Gilbert Arenas, the former NBA guard with an unserious persona, is reacting to a serious situation.
I once bought 'The Lost City of Z' by David Grann ('Killers of the Flower Moon'). As you do, I waited a decade before devouring it this week. I'm such a sucker for a good 'lost expedition' story, and this one lives up to its reputation. Just … don't Google the Amazon jungle diseases mentioned in here. Don't make my mistake. — Patrick Iversen
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our newser on Sha'Carri Richardson's arrest.
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