Alligator stops play

First-round play at the Zurich Classic in New Orleans was halted when the large reptile invaded the fairway.

Credit must go to Davis Love III, a man so calm that his first move was to take a photo of the beast on his mobile.

But under golf's rules, Love could be in more trouble than the 'gator - aren't phones banned on the fairways?

Still, the players should be grateful for small mercies. The pitch-invader was a mere slip of a crocodilian compared to the 5.8m-long monster found in Marsh Island in the same state a few years back.

And would Love have been so keen to stick around if he had known that fatal attacks from alligators in the US are on the up - from a mere nine between 1970 and 2000 to 11 in the five years between 2001 and 2006 alone?

RELATED INTERNET LINKS:
PGA Tour
European Tour
Golf on the BBC
Golf tips
Golf rules and equipment
Latest golf discussions on 606
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites