The PGA Tour’s Florida Swing kicked off on Thursday, because the opening spherical of the Cognizant Basic performed out. Jake Knapp, who was among the many gamers nominated for Rookie of the Yr in 2024, made historical past carding a 12-under 59 on the Palm Seashores. But, many would name Billy Horschel the hero of the day.
Horschel had an up-and-down begin to his day and located himself strolling towards the seventh tee field at 1-under. That’s when he seen one thing out of the atypical; an alligator attempting to cross the golf green.
Fortunately, the Florida native was the best man for the job.
“Proper about to stroll to seven, I noticed the gator coming throughout,” Horschel mentioned after his spherical.
“The cop who was working with us walked over there and tried to shoo him, however he did not have something to the touch him and he was attempting to get as shut as he may. It was both somebody was going to should go as much as No. 8 and seize a rake or I used to be 30 yards away, 25 yards away, and I simply grabbed a membership and went over there and pushed him away.”
Horschel even stalked the gator again into the water. He would possibly very effectively have saved some patrons.
“Hear, he was going nowhere good. So I simply went over there, helped the cop.”
“As Cam mentioned earlier than I went over there, he goes, what was he going to do, try to use a Tazer on him? However I believe he would have needed to get somewhat shut on that one to try to make it efficient.”
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Certainly, making an attempt to taze an alligator looks like folly. It was clever of Horschel to make use of one thing simpler with longer vary.
The expertise should have made him really feel proper at residence, too. Horschel went on to card 4 extra birdies with out a bogey to enter the clubhouse at 5-under par.
Billy Horschel is understood for not being afraid to talk his thoughts. Apparently, there may be not a lot that scares the PGA Tour vet.
“I am not afraid of gators. Hear, as I inform most individuals… they’re extra afraid of you. The vast majority of the time they’re solely going to come back after you throughout mating season the place they’re somewhat aggressive after which in case you’re round their nest once they’ve acquired some eggs. The vast majority of the time, they’re high-quality.
“I grew up with my dad grabbing their tail once they’re on the facet of the financial institution and shooing them again within the water. I by no means touched a tail with my hand however I’ve performed it with a membership. Not that huge of a deal.”
That’s fairly a sentiment.