Mar 2, 2025; Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA; Vince Whaley plays a shot from a bunker on the 18th hole during the final round of the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images
(Reuters) -American Vince Whaley had a particularly nerve-wracking encounter with a big-toothed onlooker at the Sanderson Farms Championship on Sunday, as he was forced to play a shot under the watchful gaze of a lurking alligator.
Whaley rolled up his trousers and waded into ankle-deep water after a wayward shot during the final round of the tournament, only to discover he had some unwanted company.
An alligator's head could be seen poking out of the water just a few feet away as Whaley prepared to take his shot, but the 30-year-old quickly brought the ball back onto dry land and escaped with par on the 11th green.
He eventually finished the round with a five-under 67 and tied for third in the tournament, five strokes behind winner Steven Fisk.
Whaley joked about his brush with danger in a post on Instagram, saying: "Saved par and both hands... sorry, Chubbs!"
Alligators have made a habit of popping up at golf tournaments, with Billy Horschel even chasing one off the course by poking it with his 60-degree wedge at the Cognizant Classic this year.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru)
