Palm Beach (USA) - Golf star and alligator whisperer! Billy Horschel (38) always cuts a fine figure with an iron in his hand - even when a prehistoric predator steps onto the course.

On Thursday, the US-American casually chased away an animal visitor during the PGA National in Palm Beach, as a video subsequently circulated online shows.

In the video, the 38-year-old approaches the alligator - golf club in hand - who then flees at lightning speed and disappears back into the adjacent pond. The golfer bravely accompanies the reptile into the water, while the security guard, who is also present, simply looks on.

"I had just putted, then went over to the left onto the green and saw the alligator coming," Horschel explained the incident in an interview after his round.

"The policeman who was with us also tried to scare it off, but he didn't have anything with him that he could have touched it with," the "Baton Boy" continued.

"Someone should have gone to hole eight and got a rake, but I was only 20 meters away, so I went and pushed him away."

The officer had probably even flirted with using his Taser, but the Florida-born sportsman is used to life with the armored lizards.

"I'm not afraid of alligators," says Horschel. "Most of the time, they're more afraid of you than you are of them. Only during the mating season are they a bit aggressive, especially near their nest, and sometimes they go for you."

"But my dad used to just grab them by the tail and throw them back in the water," the golfer revealed. "So it's really no big deal."