BELLEAIR, Fla. – Caitlin Clark had simply wrapped up a busy day of media obligations on Tuesday at Pelican Golf Membership, forward of her LPGA pro-am debut at The Annika pushed by Gainbridge, an Indianapolis-based sponsor of the 22-year-old Indiana Fever celebrity. A lot of the professionals had already left the property, however Clark placed on some sweatpants, slipped off her high-heels and headed straight to the chipping space – barefoot. Underneath the setting solar, Clark hit shot after shot, some good, some dangerous. Two unlucky skulls raced throughout the 60-yard lengthy inexperienced earlier than ending just some paces from the glass-windowed media heart.
Clark’s prime precedence this week, she mentioned, was to not hit anybody, so she was utilizing each last-minute alternative to rein in her sport.
A day later, that objective lasted eight holes – and practically two – proving Clark is human in any case.
Sights and sounds from WNBA star Caitlin Clark’s look within the LPGA’s Annika pro-am.
Taking part in alongside world No. 1 Nelly Korda within the morning portion of Wednesday’s pro-am, Clark tugged her hybrid into a large gallery left of the par-3 ninth inexperienced. Nobody was harm, and one spectator walked away with a signed golf ball (numbered with Clark’s signature No. 22), probably a light-weight bruise and one heckuva story.
Clark teed off vibrant and early, at 7 a.m. ET, in entrance of a whole lot of followers, many carrying Indiana Fever and Iowa Hawkeye jerseys. A bunch of about 15 younger ladies from Ladies Golf, an LPGA and USGA initiative, traveled in, largely from Miami, to look at Clark and Korda play collectively. They introduced indicators and raised them up behind each tee field. Many different children had skipped college for the chance to get a glimpse of the WNBA Rookie of the 12 months.
The format was a shamble, so it mattered little that Clark was combating a slice together with her driver. She discovered the inexperienced together with her opening method and two-putted from about 25 toes. However then got here the lefts together with her irons, not a fantastic recipe on a brutally powerful Pelican format. In a group space off the second inexperienced, Clark’s Texas wedge didn’t have sufficient tempo to rise up onto a extreme shelf, and her ball rolled again down off the placing floor. Clark instantly scooped up her ball however then questioned her resolution as Korda despatched her chip via the inexperienced and down subsequent to Clark’s ball.
“Guess I shouldn’t have picked that up,” Clark mentioned to the gallery.
“Wait till the third gap!” shouted a fan.
“What’s on the third gap? Ought to I be scared?” Clark responded, playfully.
Moments later, on the par-3 third, Clark practically missed the ball together with her hybrid, topping it 45 levels left and seeing it whiz simply over the heads of the followers crammed alongside the rope line. A couple of then raced into a close-by bougainvillea bush to fetch the memento. Thorns be damned.
Clark missed the pin on the par-4 fifth about 40 yards left, however then got here the primary of a number of flashes of brilliance together with her quick sport, simply the very best a part of her sport on this present day. With the inexperienced operating away from her after which dropping off the entrance, Clark displayed some delicate arms in chipping her third shot to fifteen toes. Even higher, she sank the putt for par.
