BELLEAIR, Fla. – Caitlin Clark had simply wrapped up a busy day of media obligations on Tuesday at Pelican Golf Membership, forward of her LPGA pro-am debut at The Annika pushed by Gainbridge, an Indianapolis-based sponsor of the 22-year-old Indiana Fever famous person. Many of the professionals had already left the property, however Clark placed on some sweatpants, slipped off her high-heels and headed straight to the chipping space – barefoot. Below the setting solar, Clark hit shot after shot, some good, some unhealthy. Two unlucky skulls raced throughout the 60-yard lengthy inexperienced earlier than ending only a few paces from the glass-windowed media heart.
Clark’s high precedence this week, she mentioned, was to not hit anybody, so she was utilizing each last-minute alternative to rein in her recreation.
A day later, that purpose lasted eight holes – and almost two – proving Clark is human in spite of everything.
Sights and sounds from WNBA star Caitlin Clark’s look within the LPGA’s Annika pro-am.
Enjoying alongside world No. 1 Nelly Korda within the morning portion of Wednesday’s pro-am, Clark tugged her hybrid into a large gallery left of the par-3 ninth inexperienced. Nobody was damage, and one spectator walked away with a signed golf ball (numbered with Clark’s signature No. 22), presumably a light-weight bruise and one heckuva story.
Clark teed off shiny and early, at 7 a.m. ET, in entrance of a whole bunch of followers, many carrying Indiana Fever and Iowa Hawkeye jerseys. A gaggle of about 15 younger women from Ladies Golf, an LPGA and USGA initiative, traveled in, largely from Miami, to look at Clark and Korda play collectively. They introduced indicators and raised them up behind each tee field. Many different children had skipped college for the chance to get a glimpse of the WNBA Rookie of the 12 months.
The format was a shamble, so it mattered little that Clark was preventing a slice together with her driver. She discovered the inexperienced together with her opening method and two-putted from about 25 toes. However then got here the lefts together with her irons, not an amazing recipe on a brutally robust Pelican format. In a set space off the second inexperienced, Clark’s Texas wedge didn’t have sufficient tempo to rise up onto a extreme shelf, and her ball rolled again down off the placing floor. Clark instantly scooped up her ball however then questioned her determination as Korda despatched her chip via the inexperienced and down subsequent to Clark’s ball.
“Guess I shouldn’t have picked that up,” Clark mentioned to the gallery.
“Wait till the third gap!” shouted a fan.
“What’s on the third gap? Ought to I be scared?” Clark responded, playfully.
Moments later, on the par-3 third, Clark almost missed the ball together with her hybrid, topping it 45 levels left and seeing it whiz simply over the heads of the followers crammed alongside the rope line. Just a few then raced into a close-by bougainvillea bush to fetch the memento. Thorns be damned.
Clark missed the pin on the par-4 fifth about 40 yards left, however then got here the primary of a number of flashes of brilliance together with her quick recreation, simply the perfect a part of her recreation on at the present time. With the inexperienced working away from her after which dropping off the entrance, Clark displayed some tender fingers in chipping her third shot to fifteen toes. Even higher, she sank the putt for par.
“It was an amazing to see how relaxed she was,” Korda mentioned. “Clearly with the media consideration she has gotten most likely previously 12 months and a half, two years, you may see how she’s comfy taking part in in entrance of a bigger crowd. And she or he was simply actually having fun with it. You’ll be able to inform. Like she’s positively very proficient. She was choosing the ball actually clear. She was shedding a pair photographs to the fitting, however I requested her what number of occasions per week she performs, and I believe with the quantity of obligations she has, she most likely will get to the golf course as soon as per week. So, for simply taking part in as soon as per week, she was taking part in very well.”
On the flip, Korda and Clark exchanged golf balls, and Korda handed Clark off to World Golf Corridor of Famer Annika Sorenstam, who caught one on the par-3 twelfth gap, establishing Clark’s solely birdie of the day from 6 toes.
The group roared.
It was precisely the scene match organizers envisioned when Clark dedicated to the occasion. Ticket gross sales had been reportedly 12x in comparison with final 12 months.
“Nothing we might actually see on a traditional Wednesday,” Sorenstam mentioned. “It’s simply nice the way it brings consideration to the match.”
Sorenstam broke down Clark’s recreation a bit, saying Clark had some pop off the tee and good dynamics in her swing however struggled together with her tempo, which was slightly fast.
“She performed with Nelly on the entrance, and Nelly is all about energy, so after all once you play with somebody like that you simply wish to swing more durable and quicker. Now when it’s windy, I’m like, simply obtained to settle down, discover the tempo, and attempt to ensure that membership face is extra sq. to the goal. I believe I that’s extra necessary. Once more, for her, there’s a lot occurring. It’s not simply on the market specializing in my recreation. She’s making an attempt to be the face of the day.”
Sorenstam’s greatest recommendation to Clark, a 16-handicap, going ahead?
“She simply must play,” Sorenstam mentioned.
Clark on {golfing} with Nelly, soaking in The Annika
Throughout her pro-am spherical at The Annika, Caitlin Clark chats with Kira Ok. Dixon about {golfing} with Nelly Korda, Annika Sorenstam’s trailblazing affect and her personal ambitions for her budding golf profession.
Clark did a walk-and-talk with Golf Channel’s Kira Ok. Dixon on the seventh gap and promptly chunked a 3-wood. She shortly tossed one other ball down and dropkicked one down the golf green. She laughed via all of it. Often, Clark is the perfect participant within the enviornment, however on this event, she was the one appreciating greatness.
“Clearly, attending to see them do what they do up entrance is – like folks would pay for that. I obtained to do it totally free and have enjoyable with them,” Clark mentioned afterward. “Positively a enjoyable morning. Really feel very grateful that Gainbridge had me out right here. Clearly, their help of girls’s sports activities is great. Very fortunate and lucky. Hung in there; did all proper. It was a superb day.”
And with that, Clark signed a couple of autographs as followers barreled down the hill behind the 18th inexperienced earlier than heading to the airport, certainly itching to get again on a golf course quickly.
