Caitlin Clark and Annika Sorenstam (left) forward of their pro-am look.
Getty Photographs
Caitlin Clark has one objective for this week’s LPGA pro-am look.
“I don’t wish to hit anybody with a golf ball. That’s my No. 1 precedence,” she stated.
The WNBA’s greatest star touched down on Florida’s west coast on Tuesday forward of her much-anticipated exhibiting in The Annika’s Wednesday pro-am, the place she’ll play 9 holes with event host Annika Sorenstam and 9 extra with World No. 1 Nelly Korda. However in contrast to most of her fellow opponents, Clark acquired a pre-pro-am press convention. Two of ’em, in actual fact. Clark talked sports activities, management and sure, a little bit golf alongside Sorenstam.
Right here’s what we realized:
Clark is a 16 handicap
“I’ve tried to apply as a lot as I can. I imply, , I’m simply the common golfer. I’m going to hit some good, I’m going to hit some unhealthy. It’s what it’s,” Clark stated. She’s been working with Martha Lobby-Faulconer, the professional at Crooked Stick in Carmel, Ind., and he or she’s clearly proficient — however nonetheless honing in her scoring.
“My handicap is like 16,” she stated. “Stroke-a-hole, common golfer.”
Clark acquired a little bit extra particular: Her finest rounds are within the mid-80s, she stated.
“However often I’m simply praying to interrupt 100.”
Clark performed ‘actually every part’ rising up
It’s at all times fascinating to listen to professional golfers discuss which different sports activities they performed rising up. It was fascinating to listen to a non-golfer clarify the place golf and different sports activities slot in, too.
“I grew up enjoying actually every part and I used to be tremendous aggressive,” she stated. “My dad and mom simply tossed me on the market and wished me to get my power out. Whether or not it was soccer, softball, golf, monitor, I actually did all of it. After I acquired into highschool, I knew basketball was my future. I cherished it and I wished to apply it.”
That was an understatement. It seems Clark wished to apply basketball a lot that it truly irritated her teammates in different sports activities.
“That was in all probability what set [basketball] other than all the opposite sports activities I performed,” she stated. “They had been simply type of like, for enjoyable with my pals. I used to be actually aggressive, however I didn’t take additional trip of my day to go work on my recreation and be higher than all people else.
“I feel that’s what helped determine the trail I wished to take. Like, I keep in mind in highschool I performed soccer and I used to be on varsity and I cherished it. However my teammates would get mad as a result of I might go and apply and work out and do basketball proper earlier than we had our soccer video games. They like, couldn’t consider I used to be doing that. I had to surrender soccer regardless that I cherished it.”
Sitting beside her, Sorenstam might relate.
“I performed soccer, too,” she stated. “You stated tennis, that was actually my love. Rising up in Sweden it was Bjorn Borg, nationwide hero, and I attempted every part he did, nevertheless it didn’t work out.”
Clark schedules out her offseason weeks
Need to higher manage your life? Comply with Clark’s Sunday routine.
“Gosh, now that I’m not in-season, I attempt to plan my week out earlier than I begin the week, like each Sunday,” she stated. “I feel that helps me know precisely what I’ve to get executed, after I’m going to get my exercises in. I’m anyone that I have to know after I’m going to work out, whether or not that’s basketball, weightlifting, this or that.”
The planning, Clark stated, helps her keep accountable. And sure, she’s old-school in her group:
“I sit down and use pen and paper and write it out. I don’t even sort in my notes. That’s simply how I do issues. I really feel good and know precisely what I’ve to get executed.
“When you accomplish these issues, you’re feeling such as you’re in a very good place.”
There’s one space Clark prefers golf to basketball
“What’s so stunning about golf is, I feel, being exterior, I like that,” she stated. “That’s the of the one unhealthy factor concerning the WNBA. It’s within the spring and summer time, fall. I miss a number of alternative to play golf. Now that the season ended, I attempt to play as a lot as I can.”
It’s getting chilly in Indianapolis, Clark stated, the place she’s been spending her time. However she has a household journey to Arizona arising; she’ll be bringing her golf equipment.
“It’s one thing enjoyable to do,” she stated. “I make it aggressive. Go on the market with your folks and have as a lot enjoyable as you’ll be able to and do one thing exterior of basketball is admittedly what I like about it.”
Clark watched Rory McIlroy rising up
Clark isn’t a part of the post-Covid golf increase — she was keen to look at and play from a younger age.
“Actually I attempted to look at as a lot as I can,” she stated, requested for her {golfing} origin story. “Rory was in all probability certainly one of my favourite gamers rising up. I might have the TV on watching him. I had this pink cute golf membership set rising up that I acquired for certainly one of my birthdays. I might beg my dad to take me out and go {golfing}.
“I keep in mind after I had one off weekend of not enjoying soccer or basketball, no matter it was, I begged my dad to take me. Clearly wasn’t excellent, however I simply cherished being exterior and making an attempt one thing new and the problem of golf. Clearly so much completely different from positively basketball and the workforce facet. It’s far more particular person. In order that’s one other problem I like about it, too.”
Two issues set her aside
OK, in all probability greater than two issues. However when Clark was requested what drives her, she knew precisely what to say.
The primary?
“Eager to be the very best. Like, I don’t need anybody to be higher than me in no matter it’s. I simply wish to be higher than all people else,” she stated.
The second?
“I feel I’m very actual with myself, too. I do know after I possibly haven’t executed my finest in one thing I’m going to be the primary particular person to look within the mirror and know what I have to get higher at.
“These two issues assist me be the very best. I may be very trustworthy and actual with myself. Positively the youthful technology struggles with that. They at all times wish to level fingers.”
Has Clark grasped the magnitude of her rise to stardom? Based mostly on what she says, it looks as if she has. It’s simply that she appears so down-to-earth about the entire thing that you just nearly neglect simply how out-of-this-world the complete factor has been.
“For me, it’s actually cool to see the best way issues have modified,” she stated. “After I first began in school, it was Covid, so not many individuals within the stands, possibly nobody, then 300 folks, family and friends solely.
“By the point I used to be at my senior yr, you couldn’t get a ticket until you had been going to pay some huge cash. It’s simply actually cool to see how every part has modified.
“I’ve tried to remain the identical particular person I used to be as a little bit lady rising up with the boys. I really feel like I’m simply me and that’s when folks love and might relate to. Simply keep that approach that retains it enjoyable and what I get pleasure from about it.”
Dylan Dethier
Golf.com Editor
Dylan Dethier is a senior author for GOLF Journal/GOLF.com. The Williamstown, Mass. native joined GOLF in 2017 after two years scuffling on the mini-tours. Dethier is a graduate of Williams Faculty, the place he majored in English, and he’s the writer of 18 in America, which particulars the yr he spent as an 18-year-old dwelling from his automotive and enjoying a spherical of golf in each state.
