Alligator in Florida catches golf ball in mouth during tournament: 'It saved me from a hazard penalty'

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Fifteen-foot alligator spotted at Florida golf course

An alligator in Florida put a new spin on the meaning of a hole-in-one.

Joanne and Len Sadowsky were competing in a couples golf competition at the Bonita National Golf Club in Bonita Springs on Saturday when Joanne claimed a gator “jumped up and caught” her wayward ball.

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“I shanked the ball to the right, and it was heading to the water,” she told the Naples Daily News. “It was close to the gator’s head. He saw it, jumped up and caught it.”

A photo provided to the publication shows the gator resting with the woman’s light pink ball in its mouth.

While the Bonita Springs resident is accustomed to seeing gators on the course, this was the first time she’s ever witnessed such an event.

“We’ve seen them with a fish or a turtle in their mouths, but never a golf ball,” she said.

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The unexpected occurrence played into Joanne’s favor, however.

“It saved me from a hazard penalty,” she said, noting she earned a free drop due to the interference.