GOLF fans were stunned after Rickie Fowler risked being bitten by a SNAKE when retrieving his ball.

Fowler had a dangerous encounter during the third round of the Wells Fargo Championship.

The tournament is being held at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, a state home to 37 varieties of snakes.

The incident occurred after Fowler mishit a shot into the water.

When he went to retrieve it he instead encountered a snake, and carefully tried to lift it out onto the grass.

But the reptile had other ideas and slithered away from the world No53.

Fowler, 34, finished the third round six under – ten shots behind leader Wyndham Clark.

The American was chasing his first PGA Tour win since claiming the 2019 WM Phoenix Open.

Animals invading golf courses is rare but does happen from time to time, with fans shocked to see alligators strolling around a course earlier this week.

Remarkably, a ball landed on an alligator’s head after being driven off the tee.

The huge gator managed to balance the ball perfectly – unfortunately for whoever took the shot.