Billy Horschel might be the PGA Tour’s version of Steve Irwin.
The world No. 11 may be adept with golf clubs but it turned out he is also a seasoned alligator handler.
During the first round of the Cognizant Classic in Florida, where the winner stands to take home $1.66million (£1.27m), Horschel had just sunk a putt for par on the sixth when he came across another type of opponent altogether, as an alligator had made its way onto the course.
A police officer who was with Horschel’s group tried to handle the situation but couldn’t quite shoo the gator away.
Horschel decided he would take charge of the situation and pulled a club out from his bag to direct the reptile back to the water.
The 38-year-old gave the gator a gentle nudge with the club and stalked it all the way to the lake.
Speaking after the day’s play, Horschel explained the wild encounter and why it had to be him who dealt with the gator.
“We were about to walk to seven and I saw the gator coming across,” Horschel said.
“The cop who was walking with us walked over there and tried to shoo him. You don’t have anything to touch him so he was trying to get as close as he could.
“It was either someone’s going to have to go up to number eight and grab a rake, which is 30 yards away, 25 yards away.
“I just grabbed a club and pushed him away. Listen, he (the gator) was going nowhere good. So I just went over there to help the cop.
“As Cam (Cameron Young) said before I went over there, he goes, ‘What is he going to do, try and use a taser on him?’
Sky SportsThe American showed everyone how its done as he guided the gator back to the water[/caption]
“But I knew I had to get a little close on that one to try and make it effective.”
It turned out the alligator may have been somewhat of a lucky omen for Horschel given how well he played for the rest of the first round.
Prior to the encounter, Horschel sat at a modest one-under par through the first six holes.
But after he directed the gator back to the water, the 38-year-old carded four birdies and not a single bogey as he ended the round at five-under to sit tied for 16th.
As absurd as the scenes may have been, Horschel is somewhat of a seasoned gator handler given he grew up in Florida.
Adding to the 38-year-old’s history with the animal is the fact he played golf for the University of Florida, who are nicknamed the Gators.
“I’m not afraid of gators,” Horschel said.
“Listen, as I tell most people, they’re more afraid of you. The majority of the time they’re going to come after you during mating season when they’re a little aggressive and then if you’re around their nest when they’ve laid some eggs. But the majority of the time, they’re fine.
“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.
“I’ve never touched a tail with my hand, but I’ve done it with a club so it’s not that big of a deal.”
Horschel will need more than some lucky omens via a gator if he is to catch runaway leader Jake Knapp, who sits four strokes clear at the top of the leaderboard on 12-under.