The things players will do to improve their chances of keeping their PGA Tour card.

On Sunday at the Sanderson Farms Championship, Vince Whaley was in contention when he hit his second shot into the water right of the par-5 11th green. The good news: Whaley could still play the ball. The bad news: Whaley had to take his shoes off and wade into ankle-deep water, where just yards away was an alligator with its head peeking above the surface.

“My heart rate’s elevated just watching this,” said Golf Channel analyst Johnson Wagner as Whaley prepared to hit his third shot.

Whaley made a big splash as he swung, and though his ball was dry, it didn’t quite reach the green. Still, Whaley was able to escape with par.

He’d go on to shoot 5-under 66 and finish T-3, which bumped him from No. 102 in

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