Daniel Lawrence Whitney AKA Larry the Cable Guy looks on during round one of the ClubCorp Classic at ... [+]
Daniel Lawrence Whitney, who is known to most of us as Larry the Cable Guy, has become a comic legend by cracking jokes and telling it like it is, ever since the fledgling days of his career back in the 1990s. He’s always had a “roll up the sleeves” approach to life as a comic.
But just like on stage, when Whitney is on the golf course, you could say—the sleeves come off.
This week, he’s in Orlando, Florida, the capital of golf, as one of the celebrity golfers in the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. The tournament takes place Thursday, Jan. 18, through Sunday, Jan. 21, at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club.
The HGV Tournament of Champions is the LPGA’s first event of the calendar year and features a field of LPGA golfers who have won a tour event in the previous two seasons. While the LPGA pros compete and tally their score via the usual stroke play over 72 holes (with no cut), celebrity participants use Modified Stableford scoring—zero points for a double bogey, one point for a bogey, two points for making par, three for a birdie, and five points for an eagle.
I caught up with Whitney on Thursday after his full round of 18 holes, and it was no surprise that he spoke about his day like any golfer would.
“The first four holes, I stunk, and I couldn’t hit an iron to save my life,” said Whitney inside the clubhouse. However, his outing was not a total scratch.
“But today was the best driving day I’ve ever had in golf. I hit every fairway about 265 (yards) down the middle, then missed one and chunked at the 18th at first, but then made it in the bucket.”
Each year for the last six seasons, the HGV has showcased the best players in the LPGA, pairing up top professional golfers such as Nelly Korda, Brooke Henderson, and Jin Young Ko with actors, comics, and Hall of Fame athletes from a variety of sports.
He added, “I’ve improved my game each year, except for driving. (With driving) I’m hit or miss. Often, I can’t figure it out. But starting yesterday, I’ve been hitting great drives.
Whitney, 60, who has been playing golf most of his adult life, said that his irons are usually the best part of his game.
I asked, jokingly, whether his clubs and they were to blame, and at first, Whitney jokingly said, “Yes, I blame my irons!” He then let on that his clubs are “excellent” and prefers using top-quality PXG irons.
“My clubs are awesome,” Whitney said. “Today, it was just an operator error.”
Whitney said that he posted an 85 during the pro-am on Wednesday. And during Thursday’s Round 1, using the Stableford scoring method, he posted a 16.
Larry the Cable Guy between musicians Huey Lewis (l) and Toby Keith (r), at the 3M Celebrity ... [+]
“Here’s the thing: I try too hard because I know I’m getting better,” Whitney explained. “So, tomorrow (Friday), I’m gonna go out there, and I’m not gonna care!”
For Friday’s round, Whitney is paired with NASCAR driver Austin Dillon and LPGA tour player Elizabeth Szokol.
Golfing for the greater good—and some laughs
While Whitney is no slouch on the fairways, he also organizes his own charity golf event. Ever since 2009, Whitney and his wife, Cara, have operated the Git-R-Done Foundation, which runs an annual golf tournament in Lincoln, Nebraska, to benefit veterans and their families.
The Git-R-Done Foundation has raised over $8 million since its inception. This year’s Git-R-Done Classic is set for June 2-3, 2024, at Firethorn Golf Club and will be the 12th annual iteration of the event.
“That tournament’s great. It started in Florida, first at Grand Cypress and then at Shingle Creek,” which are both clubs in Orange County, Florida. “Then eventually we moved it to Lincoln, Nebraska, where my permanent residence is,” said Whitney, who grew up in Nebraska and is a big University of Nebraska Cornhuskers fan.
He notes that it’s one of his favorite because of its “laid back feel” and that some of his favorite people to golf with—particularly David Wells, Ken Griffey Jr., and the guys from the band REO Speedwagon—always fly into play.
“It’s kind of like a traveling circus. We meet up, hang out, and have a good time,” he said. “We always look for new charities to give to. Especially smaller ones, where even $10,000 can make a huge difference for them.”
He added that his aim with the Git-R-Done Foundation and the Git-R-Done Classic is to help causes that benefit veterans and children.
One of Whitney’s all-time favorite golfers is, of course, the late Arnold Palmer, and he said he was always moved by the large degree to which Palmer used golf for charity and also encouraged everyone else to do so, especially for children’s causes.
Whitney had met and played with Palmer several times prior to his passing in 2016 and also played at Palmer’s famous club, Bay Hill, where the Arnold Palmer Invitation (API) is held each March. He told a story about stop at Bay Hill
“I remember on time Arnie’ took a bunch of us to lunch, and at that time, the best round of golf I ever shot was an 84–and I was bragging about it!” Whitney said. “Then Arnold talked about a tournament when he just wasn’t hitting the ball, knew he wasn't going to win, and instead signed autographs and just hung out with the crowd.”
Larry The Cable Guy, Lisa Lampanelli and Jeff Foxworthy arrive for the Comedy Central Roast Of Larry ... [+]
Whitney said that during Palmer’s poor outing, Palmer explained that “Worst round I’ve ever played, I carded an 84, he said. And my wife laughed and kicked me under the table!”
Just like with golfers but famous and not famous, Whitney said that he’s had a lot of influences and mentors that have helped him find his style and voice as a comic.
“When I was a kid, I always had a goofy sense of humor. “I loved Henny Youngman and the old Dean Martin roasts, Benny Hill, and Monty Python. I love all those old, classic comics.”
He added that “You know, as a comic, it really takes you about 10 years to find your voice. Steve Martin said that in his book, and it was like that for me. You experiment, and after a while, you start showing up in your own true style.”
“I developed my own style as a one-liner guy. Set up, punch. Set up, punch.”
Whitney says that his days in the 1980s touring small comedy clubs from Los Angeles to the Florida eastern coast were critical to him. He also mentions his longtime friend and touring partner, Jeff Foxworthy, as someone who helped him blossom as a comic.
“I first met Jeff Foxworthy early in 1986 at the Comedy Corner in West Palm Beach, and we hit it off like two peas in a pod.” Whitney said of Foxworthy, “He's like my adopted older brother.”
