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Golf fans are used to hearing a curling putt described as “snaking.” However, what is less familiar to them is the sight of a snake hanging from the end of a club.
During the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow on Saturday, Rickie Fowler was on hand to put on a confident demonstration.
Fowler was on the par-five seventh hole of his third round at the PGA Tour event in Charlotte when his tee shot headed into the water along the side of the fairway.
While looking for his ball, the American saw a snake perched between some rocks. North Carolina is home to a variety of snake species, many of which inhabit the waters of the Tar Heel State. Comments on the PGA Twitter Post He was dubious about what species of snake Fowler was dealing with, but it is believed to be a northern water snake, a non-venomous species native to North America.
Fowler tilted his wedge and gently hooked the snake to pull it out of a gap in the rocks before it slipped away. The fact that the 34-year-old is a long-time partner of Puma-Cobra made it a fitting collaboration.
He eventually took a penalty but managed to save par, shooting a three-under 68 before repeating the score on Sunday to finish in a tie for 14th at eight under par overall, 11 shots behind champion Wyndham Clark.
This lifts him three places to No. 50 in the world ahead of the PGA Championship later this month at Oak Hill, where he will again seek the first major of his career after three second-place finishes.
Fowler hopes to avoid the fate that befell Richard Brand at last year's event. The English golfer's second round was derailed when a squirrel ran onto the green to stop his ball and roll it before running away.
To rub salt in the wounds, Bland was not allowed to move his ball or replay his shot per United States Golf Association rules.
Snakes and squirrels have continued the growing story of animal clashes in golf, with dogs, deer and alligators writing chapters in recent years.
