Golfer Sues Resort After Crocodile Bites Off Fingers; 'Chicken' Defense Employed

Golf is a perilous game, complete with sand traps that frustrate, greens that try the human spirit and, apparently, crocodiles that will bite your freakin' fingers off. 

The New York Post's Kathianne Boniello reports that Edward Lunger, a man from Long Island out for a pleasant round of golf in Cancun, had his fingers bitten off by a crocodile. 

Lunger was playing at the picturesque Iberostar Cancun Golf Club in Mexico when he shanked one to the left—a plight we can all relate to. However, an unusual and wholly frightening event quickly followed. 

"

The 50-year-old engineer took a couple of practice swings and then chipped out of the bunker. He heard leaves rustle.

“All of a sudden, his arm went back, and his head went back,” pal Mark Martin recalled. “I saw the crocodile leap up.”

"

According to the report, the crocodile had Lunger up to his left elbow and pinned to the ground. Martin saw this and ran over, picked up a 40-pound boulder and smashed the crocodile on the head. 

The 50-year-old initially thought he had lost his entire hand, telling the New York Post that, "I’m thinking my whole hand is off. I couldn’t feel my hand. It was like my whole body was on fire."

Doctors managed to save his index finger, but unfortunately, his middle and ring digits had already been lost. If that weren't enough, the golfer found that he gained a very expensive bill for the procedure. 

"

Paramedics took Lunger to a private hospital where, he claims, he was forced to pay the $17,800 bill up front before he could get treatment.

The men, and two other friends, split the tab on their credit cards.

"

While Lunger acknowledges that crocs will be crocs, but he is placing blame squarely on the resort, stating there was no mention of dangerous animals near the course. What's more, the $2.25 million-lawsuit he launched in July purports the resort introduced crocodiles as an apparent attraction. 

So what does the resort have to say for themselves? Well, they are going with the rarely used but altogether hilarious "chicken" defense. 

"

Adding insult to the devastating injuries he faced, Lunger said Iberostar reps began pressuring him to sign papers absolving the resort of responsibility—and when that failed, it allegedly spread rumors that Lunger prompted the attack by teasing the croc with chicken.

“We came with nothing,” Martin fumed. “We rented the clubs there. We [bought] the balls there. Where would we be getting chicken?”

"

The chicken store?

Eh, I'll bite. If he did come with chicken, you would think that a course official may have done well to caution the golfer it may prove dangerous in the end.

Also, where would one even hide a chicken? There is hardly enough room to steal away a six-pack of beer on those golf bags. 

While Lunger left the course missing fingers, we are thankful the scene wasn't far worse than it could have been. As for the resort, we aren't entirely confident a chicken is going to save you at the moment. 

Hit me up on Twitter: Follow @gabezal