Golf Star Takes Risky Shot with Gator Lurking Behind (Video)

It’s one thing to worry about water hazards on the golf course — but it’s another when there’s a live gator in the mix. During last weekend’s Sanderson Farms Championship in Mississippi, PGA Tour pro Vince Whaley found himself in exactly that situation.

As Whaley navigated the par-5 11th hole, his tee shot drifted into a pond near the green. To recover, he removed his shoes, rolled up his pants, and waded in. That’s when things got wild: a real alligator was lurking just behind him, seemingly curious about the player’s dramatic entrance into its territory.

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Mississippi is one of ten U.S. states where alligators roam in the wild — the state is home to an estimated 32,000 of them, mostly clustered in the swampy southern regions and along the Mississippi River. The Country Club of Jackson, where the tournament was held, sits adjacent to the Pearl River and features several ponds that make ideal gator habitat.

Yet none of that could’ve prepared Whaley for his surprise classroom of danger. Despite losing his rhythm from earlier in the round, he faced that watery shot with literal bare feet and nerves of steel. After emerging from the water unhurt, he managed to salvage par for the hole.

The gator incident became one of the most talked-about moments of the tournament, and Whaley’s resilience paid off — he finished tied for third and walked away with $318,000 in prize money.

If there’s one thing this tells us, it’s that on some golf courses, you don’t just have to look out for sand traps and water hazards — you’ve got to keep one eye on the shoreline too.