Billy Horschel turns the spotlight on the PGA National course after Jake Knapp's 59: "Little disappointing"

Billy Horschel turns the spotlight on the PGA National course after Jake Knapp
Billy Horschel turns the spotlight on the PGA National course after Jake Knapp's 59 (Images via Getty)

Billy Horschel saw Jake Knapp shoot a tremendous round at the Cognizant Classic. The golfer was 12 under and shot the 15th sub-60 round ever. He was an eagle putt from tying the all-time scoring record, but he came up just short.

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While Horschel believes that Knapp certainly deserves credit for shooting as well as he did, he's not sure the course didn't have a significant role to play in the end result.

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Horschel said:

"Listen, you gotta tip your hat to him. He shot 12-under par 59 at PGA National, which no one ever thought... I think the rough's not long enough. It's not penal enough when you miss the fairway. I really wish we'd just play this as a straight Bermuda."

Horschel said he knows it doesn't look as good, but he'd prefer Bermuda grass all over. That led to it being overseeded, which he believes made it a little easier to play today.

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The American added that his advantage of being born and raised in Florida is knowing how to play on Bermuda grass, as he said:

"I don't have that advantage as someone maybe playing out in California... It is a little disappointing, I say the condition of the course is very scoreable." [0:47 onwards]

Horschel did say that the onus is still on the player to go out and play, and that's what Knapp did. He also predicted that the afternoon wave of golfers would help set the average scoring record for the tournament "by a shot and a half."

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Billy Horschel addresses viral gator moment

Billy Horschel may go viral for his comments on the PGA National course, but he already went viral for getting an alligator off the course during the first round. He stepped up and escorted the amphibian back to the water.

Billy Horschel got an alligator off the course (Image via Imagn)
Billy Horschel got an alligator off the course (Image via Imagn)

It's something he's familiar with having grown up in Florida, and he said via ESPN:

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"I'm not afraid of gators. 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."
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He even added that his father was way more aggressive with alligators on the golf course:

"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."

Billy Horschel said that particular alligator was up to no good, so he stepped in to help the police officer handle what could've been a difficult situation.

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Edited by Luke Koshi
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