Billy Horschel Handles Alligator On Golf Course With Confidence
PGA golfer Billy Horschel demonstrated quick thinking and nerves of steel when he helped remove an alligator from the course during the Cognizant Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, on Thursday. The Florida native, who played golf at the University of Florida, handled the situation with ease, using a club to encourage the reptile to move along.
Horschel had just finished playing the sixth hole when he noticed the gator making its way onto the green. A police officer attempted to shoo the animal away but lacked anything to physically guide it. Horschel quickly grabbed a club and stepped in to assist.
Billy Horschel: Florida Gator, gator wrangler. pic.twitter.com/KxZKX2aZp8
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“The cop who was working with us walked over there and tried to shoo him, but he didn’t have anything to touch him, and he was trying to get as close as he could,” Horschel explained. “It was either someone was going to have to go up to No. 8 and grab a rake or I was 30 yards away, 25 yards away, and I just grabbed a club and went over there and pushed him away.”
Spectators nearby cheered the golfer’s calm response. “Yeah, Billy. That’s a Gator getting the gator,” one viewer joked, referencing Horschel’s background as a Florida Gator. Another commented, “He’s done that before.”
Horschel later confirmed he was no stranger to dealing with alligators. “Yeah, I’m not afraid of gators,” he said. “Listen, as I tell most people, I said, they’re more afraid of you. The majority of the time they’re only going to come after you during mating season where they’re a little aggressive and then if you’re around their nest when they’ve got some eggs.”
Horschel added that his experience growing up in Florida prepared him for encounters like this. “I grew up with my dad grabbing their tail when they’re on the side of the bank and shooing them back in the water,” he said. “I never touched a tail with my hand but I’ve done it with a club. Not that big of a deal.”
Despite the unusual interruption, Horschel remained focused, finishing the round with a 5-under 66. Meanwhile, Jake Knapp led the tournament after an impressive round of 59, marking the 15th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history.