Professional Golfer Disqualified After Caddy Revealed to Be Unlicensed Alligator
Third-seeded Vice City Open contender Bryson "Chip" Mallet was ejected from the Leonida Classic on Saturday after tournament officials confirmed his caddy, who had been carrying bags and offering club selection advice since the first round, was a 9-foot American alligator wearing a polo shirt. Mallet, who finished two strokes off the lead, maintained the alligator "read greens better than anyone he'd worked with professionally" and pointed out the animal had "never once gave him the wrong yardage."
The Leonida Golf Association's official rulebook contains no specific prohibition on reptile caddies, a loophole the association's president described as "an oversight we'll be addressing urgently." Mallet's disqualification stands. The alligator has reportedly been approached by three other tour players.
