There was no telling how many basketball jerseys were worn by the crowd on Wednesday morning at Pelican Golf Club, with the droves of fans who came out to watch the pre-tournament action craning their necks and sticking their phones in the air to catch a glimpse of not only Rolex Rankings No. 1 Nelly Korda or World Golf Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam, but WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark.
Playing as a special guest of Gainbridge as part of Parity Week, Clark teed it up in the Wednesday pro-am at The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, and women’s basketball fanatics from all over the United States came out to show their support for the 22-year-old, desperately hoping to get a photo of or autograph from the Indiana Fever superstar, who first rose to popularity during her time as an Iowa State University Hawkeye.
Clark spent the first nine of her pro-am playing alongside Korda and finished up her round with tournament namesake Sorenstam, enjoying every second she got to spend with two generational talents who understand what it’s like to move the needle in their sport much like Clark has in women’s basketball, a movement that was evidenced by the sheer number of people showed up at The ANNIKA before tournament play gets underway on Thursday.
“It was so fun,” Clark said after the round. “Getting to see (Nelly and Annika) do what they do up front, people would pay for that. I got to do it for free and have fun with them. Definitely a fun morning. I feel very thankful that Gainbridge had me out here. Obviously, their support of women’s sports is tremendous. Very lucky and fortunate. Hung in there, did alright. It was a good day.”
The Des Moines, Iowa, native grew up participating in pretty much every sport imaginable, playing soccer, softball and golf, as well as running track as a kid. While basketball was ultimately what she chose to pursue collegiately and professionally, Clark has continued to play golf in her free time, often posting on her social media when she hits the links with her friends and teammates.
Clark hit some pretty good shots during her 18-hole shamble with Korda and Sorenstam, even holing a lengthy putt or two and crushing some drives down the middle of the fairway. The pair of major champions were both impressed with how Clark carried herself amidst all the fanfare of the morning and thought she played really well considering how little time she has to practice her game when she isn’t on the court for the Indiana Fever.
“It’s great that’s (Caitlin is) here. Very thankful to her to take the time to be part of our event,” said Sorenstam. “She’s a really nice person, down to earth. She’s an athlete, you can tell. If she didn’t hit it well, she’s a little bit upset because she knows she can do it. She just doesn’t play a lot. She has some power off the tee. It’s wonderful of the fans come out here and support her. It’s great for the Tour.”
Korda and Clark had messaged on Instagram ahead of this week at The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, and the world No. 1 was grateful to finally get to meet Clark in person and make a new friend in the professional sports world, one who gets what it’s like to be a young player in the heat of the spotlight. Korda also loved seeing Clark embrace the moment at Pelican Golf Club, showing no signs of obvious nerves even if she was feeling some butterflies while playing what isn’t her first sport in front of hundreds of people.
“(Caitlin is) so sweet, so nice. It was nice to get to spend some time with her,” said Korda. “To get to spend some time with her and to see the influence that she has on people, bringing people out here, and to see how amazing of an influence she is for sports, (that) was really cool to see firsthand today.
Korda continued, “It was great to see how relaxed she was. With the media attention she has gotten probably in the past year and a half, two years, you can see how she’s comfortable playing in front of a larger crowd. She was really enjoying it. She is definitely very talented. She was picking the ball really clean. She was losing a couple of shots to the right, but I asked her how many times a week she plays, and I think with the amount of obligations she has, she probably gets to the golf course once a week. Playing just once a week, she was playing really well.”
But as much fun as she had on the course on Wednesday at The ANNIKA, Clark understands just how important this type of opportunity is to growing women’s sports at large. The rise in popularity that women’s basketball has seen since her collegiate career began to take off a few years ago can be largely attributed to her incredible performances on the court and her resounding likability off it, and Clark understands that using her platform to reach across the divide and create new allegiances with other women’s sports leagues is important to the long-term health of female athletics overall.
“I feel sports unites people,” said Clark in a Tuesday afternoon press conference at The ANNIKA. “That’s what this feels like, too. It’s bringing people together where they can find joy in something. I think that’s what is so beautiful about sports and what I really love about it and what I have loved about it my whole life.
“Some of my best memories from being a kid or spending time with my family or friends have been around sports and how it brings people together. That’s exactly what this feels like, and I’m sure I’ll remember this for the rest of my life.”
Korda and Sorenstam both also understand the necessity of that charge, making the trifecta that united ahead of The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican a powerful one, one that hopefully inspired the next generation of female athletes, not just golfers or basketball players.
