Basketball superstar Caitlin Clark is trading her sneakers for golf spikes today, but she’s keeping her expectations firmly on the ground.
“I just don’t want to hit anyone with a golf ball. That is my No. 1 priority!” Clark said with a laugh.
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The WNBA’s newest sensation is teeing it up at The Annika pro-am in Florida, where she’ll play alongside two legends of women’s golf – current world No. 1 Nelly Korda and the legendary Annika Sorenstam.
There’s just one small catch – she’s never seen the course.
“I’ll be out there at 7 a.m. hoping for the best,” Clark admitted. “Find out where I’m supposed to aim, and I hope it goes there.”
Golf’s been part of Clark’s life since she was little, when she got her first set of clubs – “pink little cute ones” – as a birthday present. She’d constantly beg her dad to take her to the course and loved watching Rory McIlroy on TV.
These days, she’s a decent recreational player who can sometimes shoot in the mid-80s, though she says she’s usually “just praying to break 100.” That puts her right in the sweet spot of an average golfer, with about a 16 handicap.
This isn’t her first rodeo in the pro-am world. Last year, her team finished 5 under at the John Deere Classic.
Finding time to play isn’t easy with her packed basketball schedule, especially since the WNBA season takes up the best golfing months. But she makes it work, hitting the links with her Indiana Fever teammates when she can.
When asked about her dream courses, Pebble Beach topped her list.
Clark’s presence at today’s event shows just how much star power she brings to women’s sports. She’s been credited with helping drive massive growth in women’s basketball attendance and viewership.
But she’s humble about her impact on other women’s sports.
“I think one of the coolest things is when people show up for the first time, and then they continue to come back,” she said. “Once they give it an opportunity, they see how great the product is.”
“Women’s basketball has grown a lot, but it’s every women’s sport. You look at golf, gymnastics, volleyball – it’s across the board. And there’s still so much room to keep going.”
Clark and her group tee off this morning at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida. After that, she’s already planning her next golf outing – a family trip to play some Arizona courses over Thanksgiving.
