Billy Horschel lines up a putt on the second green during day three of The 152nd Open championship at Royal Troon on July 20, 2024, in Troon, Scotland. (Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
By Ole Braatelien March 1, 2025 at 3:53pm
PGA golfer Billy Horschel triumphed over a Florida alligator during a golf tournament on Thursday.
Horschel was playing in the Cognizant Classic event in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, when the gator made its way onto the green, according to Golf.com.
WARNING: The following video contains vulgar language that some readers may find offensive.
Florida #Gators star Billy Horschel easily communicates with a pal on the golf course to clear the way at the Cognizant Classic. pic.twitter.com/4nplprki8C
— OnlyGators.com: Florida Gators news (@onlygators) February 27, 2025
Horschel later explained to reporters what happened.
“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 said.
“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,” he continued.
“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,” Horschel said.
Fulfilled my journalistic duty and got the full scoop from Billy Horschel on his gator encounter.
“Listen, he (the gator) was going nowhere good. So I just went over there, helped the cop.” pic.twitter.com/w14AEbjavt
— Paul Hodowanic (@PaulHodowanic) February 27, 2025
“Listen, he was going nowhere good. So I just went over there, helped the cop,” Horschel said.
“As Cam said before I went over there, he goes, ‘What was he going to do, try and use a taser on him?’” he continued.
Meanwhile, nearby spectators cheered Horschel’s handling of the reptile.
“Yeah, Billy. That’s a Gator getting the gator,” one viewer said, a throwback to when Horschel played for the University of Florida golf team.
“He’s done that before,” a spectator said.
Evidently, Horschel really had done it before.
“Yeah, I’m not afraid of gators. Listen, as I tell most people, I said, they’re more afraid of you,” Horschel said.
“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,” he continued.
“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,” he explained.
“Not that big of a deal,” he said.
Ole Braatelien has written for The Western Journal since 2022. He earned his bachelor’s from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
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