A PGA Tour player who perhaps famously took off his shoes and played ball with a neighbor’s alligator withdrew from the Bank of Utah Championship on Friday due to injury.
Vince Whaley, who has made the cut in two of the last four PGA Tour events, is scheduled to play on Friday with Peter Malnati and Doug Ghim in the 2:30 p.m. group. He was 4 over after Friday’s fifth round.
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Back in 2025 for the last edition of the Sanderson Village Championship, Whaley did not win, but he delivered the most memorable time of the week. In the final round, the PGA Tour veteran waded barefoot into the water hazard on the par-5 11th, sinking his third shot with his feet rather than take the penalty.
That alone would have been daring, but television cameras also caught an alligator lurking nearby, adding another layer of danger to an already dangerous plan. Whaley only advanced the ball to the short green, chipped it to within 3 feet and got out of par. He eventually carded a 5-under 67 to finish tied for third, but his fearless shot from the water quickly became one of the tournament’s defining highlights and a strong contender for shot of the year.
This year, however, the Georgia Tech product has punted eight times in 22 starts.
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Others who retired from the Bank of Utah Championship were Lanto Griffin (replaced by Kevin Streelman), Taylor Pendrith (replaced by Will Gordon), Austin Eckroat (replaced by Harry Higgs) and CT Pan.
Tim Schmitt is the managing editor of Golfweek.
This article first appeared in Golfweek: The PGA Tour is pulling out of the Utah Bank event for a famous near-alligator hit