It is evident that Caitlin Clark has had a good rookie season as anyone can have with the Indiana Fever. It’s offseason and she will not take the offseason all that seriously, at least as far as taking a rest is concerned. She was recently named by a unanimous vote as WNBA Rookie of the Year after she led her squad to their first playoff appearance since 2016. She now adds this award to her personal litany of college accolades: two-time AP Player of the Year, two-time Naismith College Player of the Year, and NCAA all-time leading scorer.
Clark is getting back to one of her other loves; golf. After the Fever were eliminated from the WNBA playoffs on September 25, Clark was all giddy about giving her time to the sport. This she made clear in her post-game interview when she said, “That’s what I’m gonna do until it gets too cold in Indiana. I’ll become a professional golfer.” And she wasn’t joking.
In November, she will compete in ‘The Annika,’ an elite LPGA pro-am event named after the golfing legend Annika Sorenstam which is scheduled to hold at November 13 at Florida’s Pelican Golf Club. It promises to be a perfect opportunity for Clark to share the course with several of the world’s best lady golfers. It is part of the LPGA Tour and takes place a week prior to the CME Group Tour Championship. And that’s not all, it is not only anticipated that Clark will compete in the tournament, but she will also be a panelist at the Women’s Leadership Summit, which takes place the day before the event.
None of the golfing experience sounds like a bad deal and her excitement about the opportunity makes it all palatable.
“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,” said Clark. “Gainbridge is a leader in supporting women’s sports, and that’s clear through their commitment to me, this event, Billie Jean King, and Parity Week. I’m looking forward to seeing all the LPGA players on the driving range, being part of the Women’s Leadership Summit, and, of course, teeing it up in the pro-am with Annika.”
This is not Clark’s first participation in the pro-am golf. Earlier this year, she took part in the pro-am at the John Deere Classic and got to play alongside U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson and several other amateur golfers. Like many of her other pursuits, her passion for the game has been palpable, and this offseason is offering her one of those rare opportunities to delve deeper into it.
Now that she finally got that rare chunk of time to pay attention to other interests other than golf, Clark is making the most of it. So this postseason, one to watch is going to be the continuing golf journey of Caitlin Clark as she juggles her love for basketball with a challenge of competing against the best in the game.
