Chubbs would approve.
Billy Horschel, the world’s No. 20 player, took matters into his own hand by chasing an invading alligator back into the water in a wild scene at the Cognizant Classic on Thursday.
Horschel — who ironically is a Gator after attending the University of Florida — poked the invading animal with his 60-degree wedge to make the alligator retreat.
“I’m not afraid of gators. As I tell people, they’re more afraid of you, majority of the time,” Horschel said. “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 got some eggs. Majority of the time, listen, they’re fine.”
While some — maybe many — may have been scared to see an alligator roaming near them on a golf course, Horschel, a Florida native, had no such worries.
He had noticed the alligator while preparing to walk to the seventh hole at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., and a police officer walking with him unsuccessfully attempted to wave off the animal.
The officer did not have anything on him, though, to aid his effort.
“As (Cameron Young) said, before I went over there, ‘What is he going to try to do? Use the taser on him?’” Horschel joked. “But I think he would have to get a little close on that one to try to make it effective.”
Horschel then took matters into his own hands, recognizing someone would have to walk to the eighth hole to grab a rake or he could just do it himself since the gator was “going nowhere good.”
He took his wedge and nudged the alligator on its right side while it meandered across the course, causing the alligator to turn 90 degrees and start scurrying toward the water.
Horschel then followed the green animal until it plopped back into the water, earning a round of applause from those nearby.
The 38-year-old joked that thankfully he had grabbed one of his 60-degree wedges since he has two extras.
Horschel shot 5-under on the first day of the event.
“I’ve never touched a tail with my hand, but I’ve done it with a club,” Horschel said. “It’s not that big of a deal.”
