Watch: Surprise visitor strolls across tee box during PGA Tour event, inspires 'Happy Gilmore' references

The reptile joins a long list of animals to invade professional sporting events over the past year.

Seven-time grand slam singles winner Venus Williams was interrupted during a serve in March at the Miami Open when a black and white cat raced across the court. The feline began darting across the playing surface behind the elder Williams sister when she began her serve, staying out of harm's way.

In May of last year, MLB fans were both entertained and mortified when a squirrel appeared at Yankee Stadium during a game between the Baltimore Orioles and host Yankees. New York City residents are surely used to seeing squirrels on the streets of the Big Apple, but this particular critter got up close and personal to the fans in their seats.

A gator nearly made it into Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia for a game between the host Phillies and visiting Pittsburgh Pirates in September but was denied entry. A Phillies fan was hoping to bring his pet into the stadium as his emotional support alligator.

Thursday's alligator adventure led to many social media commenters connecting the situation to Adam Sandler's 1996 comedy film "Happy Gilmore."

Sandler played the titular character, a hockey player-turned-golfer who is raising money for his grandmother. He gets in an epic fight with an alligator during the film, a gator that had previously bitten off the hand of Gilmore's mentor, Chubbs Peterson (played by the late Carl Weathers).

The Zurich Classic of New Orleans runs through Sunday.