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‘Classy’ Caitlin Clark hailed by PGA stars as WNBA star shows golfing ambition
Caitlin Clark will take part in her second PGA Tour pro-am next month, with golfing icon Annika Sorenstam expressing her excitement at the WNBA superstar’s involvement
Caitlin Clark, the 22-year-old WNBA superstar, is making a smooth transition between sports look like a walk in the park. The basketball sensation, who was the first pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, is preparing for her second major event next month, following a successful debut last year.
A lifelong golf enthusiast, Clark didn’t let her rising basketball career prevent her from trying her hand at golf. Last year, she participated in the John Deere Classic pro-am, earning high praise from PGA Tour players Ludvig Aberg and Zach Johnson, who accompanied her on the front and back nine respectively.
Both golfers commended Clark’s technical skills but were even more taken with her grounded personality. “It’s off the court that makes it easy to be a fan [of Clark]”, two-time major champion Johnson, 48, shared with journalists.
“I just think that’s the way you handle yourself, with integrity and class. But you work your butt off, and if success comes, you’re going to have fandom. It’s just the way it is,” he continued.
“I can’t speak highly enough about how she handles herself, whether it’s in interviews or just the way she goes about her work. Obviously, she’s had a lot of awards and success, but she always goes back to her team,” reports the Express.
Aberg echoed these sentiments. “She’s a rockstar,” the 24-year-old Swede remarked. “I was just a passenger today. It was really cool.”
Clark burst onto the college basketball scene, shattering records and propelling her Iowa Hawkeyes to their first-ever NCAA Championship game. After being drafted by the Indiana Fever in April, she’s continued to exceed expectations and set new records.
Standing at 6ft, the point guard led the Fever to their first playoff appearance since 2016 and was crowned WNBA Rookie of the Year. She set rookie records for assists, three-pointers, and total points in a single match. Her outstanding performance has contributed to the rising popularity of women’s basketball in the US, an impact now known as the “Caitlin Clark effect.”
Johnson experienced this phenomenon while preparing for the Masters last year. “I’m at Augusta National the Sunday before the Masters, and the Drive, Chip and Putt is commencing,” he said. “They asked some former champions to hand out awards to these youngsters, which is awesome. But the buzz around Augusta National was about the game coming up that afternoon.”
The 2007 Masters winner was alluding to the NCAA Division I championship game in women’s basketball between Clark’s Hawkeyes and the LSU Tigers, which attracted a record-breaking 9.9 million viewers.
The Tigers clinched the match, yet it was Clark who truly captivated the audience. Johnson remarked, “I don’t know if transcendent is the right word [to describe her impact],” but he was in awe of what unfolded at the NCAA women’s tournament as both an Iowan and a sports enthusiast, he found it utterly remarkable.
Despite Clark and the Indiana Fever’s efforts, they didn’t make it to the WNBA finals this month, having been eliminated early on by the Connecticut Sun. However, every setback has its upside, and for Clark, it means she gets to focus on her golf game.
Just earlier in the month, the LPGA revealed that Clark is set to participate in another pro-am event, this time in the run-up to The Annika, hosted by none other than the legendary golfer Annika Sorenstam, scheduled for November 13. “I love golf so the opportunity to play in the pro-am for a tournament with a legend like Annika Sorenstam’s name on it is so exciting,” Clark expressed in a press statement.
Sorenstam herself is thrilled about Clark joining in. “I have been following Caitlin’s career during college and now on the WNBA stage, and what she is doing to bring attention to women’s sports both on and off the court is outstanding,” said the 54 year old Swedish champion.
She’s keen to meet Caitlin and is looking forward to her participation at the Pelican Golf Club in November, which promises to be a thrilling week for women’s sports.
