Caitlin Clark, the WNBA Rookie of the Year, captured attention during her recent participation in the Annika Driven by Gainbridge Pro-Am in Belleair, Florida. Hosted by golf icon Annika Sorenstam, the event saw Clark drawing a substantial crowd, who eagerly followed her every shot.
During the event, Clark played alongside world No. 1 Nelly Korda for the front nine and joined 10-time major champion Annika Sorenstam for the back nine. Despite being in the company of golf legends, Clark stole the spotlight.
Caitlin Clark shared a highlight reel from her appearance at the popular golf event on Instagram, which earned high praise from her Indiana Fever teammate Aliyah Boston, who commented:
“Your golf highlight tape >>>”
Her participation boosted attendance and engagement at the tournament, with reports noting that her involvement attracted a larger-than-usual crowd, underscoring her star power and cross-sport appeal.Clark embraced golf during her first offseason as a WNBA professional. While her future plans remain unclear, she has reportedly turned down an offer from the Unrivaled Basketball League and is set to attend women’s leadership summits.
Meanwhile, Boston is set to play in the Unrivaled league, where she will be coached by Teresa Weatherspoon for the Vinyl team alongside Arike Ogunbowale, Rhyne Howard, Jordin Canada, Rae Burrell and Dearica Hamby.
Caitlin Clark reveals favorite golfer
At the LPGA Women's Leadership Summit, Caitlin Clark discussed her golf background, revealing that she often played the sport with her father and named PGA Tour star Rory McIlroy as her favorite golfer.
McIlroy has a distinguished career, with major championships including the 2011 U.S. Open, 2012 and 2014 PGA Championships and the 2014 Open Championship.
He is one of only three players to win four majors by age 25. Additionally, McIlroy has won the FedEx Cup a record three times and has 24 PGA Tour wins. He’s also claimed World Golf Championship victories in 2014, 2015 and 2020.
Although Clark once joked about becoming a professional golfer, she later clarified, stating (per ESPN):
"No, I've practiced a little bit and I just had the quote about becoming a professional golfer. Everybody thought I was serious. I was not serious. I love it. I love being outside and making it competitive with my friends.”
In her standout rookie season with the WNBA, Clark averaged 19.2 points, a league-leading 8.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds. She also set several rookie records, including the most assists in a single season and a new record for most assists in a single game with 19.