A packed crowd turned out to watch basketball superstar Caitlin Clark swap the court for the course at Wednesday’s LPGA pro-am event in Florida.
Clark teed it up alongside world No. 1 Nelly Korda at the Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, drawing one of the biggest pro-am galleries the LPGA has ever seen.
Name
Events
Top 10
Money
“My main goal was just not to hit any fans,” Clark said with a laugh, navigating the tight fairways lined with spectators.
She did pretty well on that front. Despite some close calls with the crowd, Clark showed she’s got game beyond the basketball court, starting strong with a solid par on her opening hole.
The Iowa basketball sensation even got some quality time with golf legend Annika Sorenstam, who joined Clark’s group for the back nine. Sorenstam, who’s hosting the tournament, got to see firsthand why Clark’s drawing so much attention.
Clark’s touch around the greens impressed many observers. She rolled in a particularly sweet lag putt that had the gallery buzzing, and followed it up with a fist-pump-worthy par save on the fifth hole.
The crowd wasn’t just there for Clark – they were thrilled to see Korda back in action too. But there’s no denying Clark was the main attraction, with fans lining every hole to catch a glimpse of the basketball phenom trying her hand at golf.
The group wrapped up their round in 4 hours and 20 minutes, with Clark looking comfortable throughout after a quick warmup session on the range.
It’s just another example of how Clark’s star power extends well beyond basketball, drawing new eyes to women’s golf just as she’s done for women’s basketball.
