11/16/2025
Caitlin Clark looks like a weekend golfer in pro-am, but her impact on the game is anything but ordinary
Belleair, FL – WNBA sensation Caitlin Clark may have gripped her driver like a basketball—slicing drives with the gusto of a weekend hacker and hollering "Happy Gilmore!" after teammate Sophie Cunningham's errant tee shot nearly beaned a fan—but her magnetic pull on The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge Pro-Am on November 12, 2025, transformed Pelican Golf Club into a Fever frenzy, proving her crossover clout is rewriting golf's growth playbook. The 23-year-old Indiana star, fully recovered from a foot injury that truncated her rookie season, teed off with world No. 2 Nelly Korda for the second straight year, nailing a fist-pump birdie putt on No. 10 after calling her 30-footer like a buzzer-beater three, while her Fever caddies Lexie Hull and Cunningham rocked custom bibs and bantered about secret snacks. "I always want to kill the ball like a fast break, but golf doesn't care," Clark quipped, her relatable mishaps—over-the-top swings and all—endearing her to galleries swollen with No. 22 jerseys, outdrawing even sponsor invitee Kai Trump amid Secret Service buzz. Yet, Clark's "ordinary" outing belies extraordinary ripples: Last year's debut spiked LPGA viewership by 40%, injecting younger demographics and women's sports synergy that host Annika Sorenstam hailed as "bringing more people to the game." Korda, gushing post-round, called Clark's vibe "infectious," while Clark tipped her cap to golf's chill escape: "It's fun, and she [Korda] makes it look easy—rooting for her win." As The ANNIKA proper kicks off Thursday, Clark's nine-hole jaunt—capped by a Nike shoe swap with Korda—spotlights how one phenom's playful pivot is fueling the LPGA's ascent, one viral slice at a time.
