One Florida Gator encountered another on the golf course Thursday during the first round of the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches.
That’s right.
Billy Horschel, who attended the University of Florida, came within a few feet of the actual reptile while heading toward the seventh hole of his opening round. Horschel bravely used his club to chase the gator off the fairway and back into the water.
Billy Horschel the gator wrangler. ?? pic.twitter.com/gSvmgNyBWf
— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) February 27, 2025
“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.
“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.”
Well, it could’ve been — and Horschel knew it.
“The cop who was working with us walked over there and tried to shoo (the gator), but he didn’t have anything to touch him and he was trying to get as close as he could,” Horschel said. “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.
“Listen, he was going nowhere good. So I just went over there, helped the cop. As (Cameron Young) said before I went over there, he goes, what was he going to do, try and use a Tazer on him? But I think he would have had to get a little close on that one to try and make it effective.”
Horschel, 38, didn’t seem to be fazed by the incident. He finished his round with a 5-under-par 66.
–Field Level Media
