A lifelong friend of the famous comedian, Kyle McDonough starred on the ice at Vermont and served as motivation for the fictional golfer.

The release of “ Happy Gilmore 2 ,” the Netflix sequel to the 1996 comedy hit, is just days away. While Hollywood hot shots might be sweating audience awareness polls or gauging social media chatter, Tim Herlihy — who co-wrote both films with star Adam Sandler — has a more pressing concern: catching up with yard work at his quiet Connecticut home.