PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Florida Man to the rescue.
A Florida native and University of Florida alumnus, Billy Horschel knows a thing or two about Gators. So, when one 5-footer started heading toward the gallery near the green on the par-4 sixth hole, Horschel stepped in.
Horschel had just putted out on the sixth green when he first noticed the group of fans following a pair of Seminoles, Luke Clanton and Daniel Berger, backing up. First, the police officer with Horschel’s group ran over to intervene, but after he failed, Horschel grabbed his 60-degree wedge.
“I didn’t think about it,” Horschel said afterward, “but good thing I did grab a 60 because I’ve got two extra ones in the locker, so if that one did become unavailable, I had two more in the locker.”
With the gator nearly at the rope line, Horschel held out the club and shooed the reptile back toward the water. Upon the splash, the crowd cheered Horschel as he jogged back to join his group, which included Sepp Straka and Cameron Young.
“He was going nowhere good,” Horschel said. “So, I just went over there, helped the cop. As Cam said before I went over there, he goes, ‘What was he going to do, try and use a taser on him?’ But I think he would have had to get a little close on that one to try and make it effective.”
Instead, it was Horschel who saved the day.
“I’m not afraid of gators,” Horschel 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.”
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