On the first day of the Cognizant Classic in Florida, golf pro Billy Horschel had an unusual encounter with an unexpected guest – an alligator. While Horschel shot a round of 66 and fought his way to a tied 16th place, the scene on the 6th hole caused quite a stir. However, the six-time PGA Tour winner remained ice-cold and proved that he can handle not only a golf ball but also reptiles.
Billy Horschel: ‘I’m not afraid of gators’
The scene occurred when Horschel had just finished his putt on the sixth hole and was marching towards the seventh tee. Suddenly he noticed an alligator crawling slowly across the green – directly towards the crowd. A police officer who was on site tried to chase the animal away, but to no effect.
“Yeah, we were on No. 6 green and I just putted out, went to the left side of the green there. Right about to walk to 7 I saw the gator coming across,” Horschel explained. “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. 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.”
Full-time golfer, part-time gator wrangler.
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) February 27, 2025
Billy Horschel can do it all. 🐊 pic.twitter.com/JXa2DsvdXb
60-Degree Wedge in Action
Billy Horschel, who himself played college golf for the Florida Gators, showed no fear of the reptile. With a 60-degree wedge in his hand, he approached the alligator and skilfully directed it back into the water.
“I’m not afraid of gators. 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 said. “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 never touched a tail with my hand but I’ve done it with a club. Not that big of a deal.”