Caitlin Clark and Annika Sorenstam (left) forward of their pro-am look.
Getty Photos
Caitlin Clark has one aim for this week’s LPGA pro-am look.
“I don’t wish to hit anybody with a golf ball. That’s my No. 1 precedence,” she stated.
The WNBA’s largest star touched down on Florida’s west coast on Tuesday forward of her much-anticipated displaying in The Annika’s Wednesday pro-am, the place she’ll play 9 holes with event host Annika Sorenstam and 9 extra with World No. 1 Nelly Korda. However not like most of her fellow rivals, Clark received a pre-pro-am press convention. Two of ’em, in actual fact. Clark talked sports activities, management and sure, somewhat golf alongside Sorenstam.
Right here’s what we realized:
Clark is a 16 handicap
“I’ve tried to apply as a lot as I can. I imply, you recognize, I’m simply the typical golfer. I’m going to hit some good, I’m going to hit some dangerous. It’s what it’s,” Clark stated. She’s been working with Martha Lobby-Faulconer, the professional at Crooked Stick in Carmel, Ind., and she or he’s clearly gifted — however nonetheless honing in her scoring.
“My handicap is like 16,” she stated. “Stroke-a-hole, common golfer.”
Clark received somewhat extra particular: Her greatest rounds are within the mid-80s, she stated.
“However normally I’m simply praying to interrupt 100.”
Clark performed ‘actually the whole lot’ rising up
It’s at all times fascinating to listen to professional golfers speak about which different sports activities they performed rising up. It was fascinating to listen to a non-golfer clarify the place golf and different sports activities slot in, too.
“I grew up taking part in actually the whole lot and I used to be tremendous aggressive,” she stated. “My dad and mom simply tossed me on the market and needed me to get my vitality out. Whether or not it was soccer, softball, golf, monitor, I actually did all of it. Once I received into highschool, I knew basketball was my future. I beloved it and I needed to apply it.”
That was an understatement. It seems Clark needed to apply basketball a lot that it truly aggravated her teammates in different sports activities.
“That was most likely what set [basketball] aside from all the opposite sports activities I performed,” she stated. “They have been simply type of like, for enjoyable with my pals. I used to be actually aggressive, however I didn’t take additional outing of my day to go work on my sport and be higher than all people else.
“I feel that’s what helped work out the trail I needed to take. Like, I keep in mind in highschool I performed soccer and I used to be on varsity and I beloved it. However my teammates would get mad as a result of I’d go and apply and work out and do basketball proper earlier than we had our soccer video games. They like, couldn’t consider I used to be doing that. I had to surrender soccer although I beloved it.”
Sitting beside her, Sorenstam may relate.
“I performed soccer, too,” she stated. “You stated tennis, that was actually my love. Rising up in Sweden it was Bjorn Borg, nationwide hero, and I attempted the whole lot he did, nevertheless it didn’t work out.”
Clark schedules out her offseason weeks
Need to higher arrange your life? Observe Clark’s Sunday routine.
“Gosh, now that I’m not in-season, I attempt to plan my week out earlier than I begin the week, like each Sunday,” she stated. “I feel that helps me know precisely what I’ve to get carried out, once I’m going to get my exercises in. I’m any individual that I must know once I’m going to work out, whether or not that’s basketball, weightlifting, this or that.”
The planning, Clark stated, helps her keep accountable. And sure, she’s old-school in her group:
“I sit down and use pen and paper and write it out. I don’t even kind in my notes. That’s simply how I do issues. I really feel good and know precisely what I’ve to get carried out.
“When you accomplish these issues, you are feeling such as you’re in a great place.”
There’s one space Clark prefers golf to basketball
“What’s so lovely about golf is, I feel, being exterior, I really like that,” she stated. “That’s the of the one dangerous factor concerning the WNBA. It’s within the spring and summer time, fall. I miss numerous alternative to play golf. Now that the season ended, I attempt to play as a lot as I can.”
It’s getting chilly in Indianapolis, Clark stated, the place she’s been spending her time. However she has a household journey to Arizona developing; she’ll be bringing her golf equipment.
“It’s one thing enjoyable to do,” she stated. “I make it aggressive. Go on the market with your folks and have as a lot enjoyable as you possibly can and do one thing exterior of basketball is admittedly what I really like about it.”
Clark watched Rory McIlroy rising up
Clark isn’t a part of the post-Covid golf increase — she was keen to look at and play from a younger age.
“Truthfully I attempted to look at as a lot as I can,” she stated, requested for her {golfing} origin story. “Rory was most likely considered one of my favourite gamers rising up. I’d have the TV on watching him. I had this pink cute golf membership set rising up that I received for considered one of my birthdays. I’d beg my dad to take me out and go {golfing}.
“I keep in mind once I had one off weekend of not taking part in soccer or basketball, no matter it was, I begged my dad to take me. Clearly wasn’t excellent, however I simply beloved being exterior and making an attempt one thing new and the problem of golf. Clearly lots completely different from positively basketball and the crew side. It’s far more particular person. In order that’s one other problem I really like about it, too.”
Two issues set her aside
OK, most likely greater than two issues. However when Clark was requested what drives her, she knew precisely what to say.
The primary?
“Eager to be the most effective. Like, I don’t need anybody to be higher than me in no matter it’s. I simply wish to be higher than all people else,” she stated.
The second?
“I feel I’m very actual with myself, too. I do know once I possibly haven’t carried out my greatest in one thing I’m going to be the primary particular person to look within the mirror and know what I must get higher at.
“These two issues assist me be the most effective. I will be very sincere and actual with myself. Positively the youthful technology struggles with that. They at all times wish to level fingers.”
Has Clark grasped the magnitude of her rise to stardom? Primarily based on what she says, it looks like she has. It’s simply that she appears so down-to-earth about the entire thing that you simply virtually overlook simply how out-of-this-world the complete factor has been.
“For me, it’s actually cool to see the way in which issues have modified,” she stated. “Once I first began in school, it was Covid, so not many individuals within the stands, possibly nobody, then 300 individuals, family and friends solely.
“By the point I used to be at my senior yr, you couldn’t get a ticket until you have been going to pay some huge cash. It’s simply actually cool to see how the whole lot has modified.
“I’ve tried to remain the identical particular person I used to be as somewhat woman rising up with the boys. I really feel like I’m simply me and that’s when individuals love and might relate to. Simply keep that means that retains it enjoyable and what I get pleasure from about it.”
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Dylan Dethier
Golf.com Editor
Dylan Dethier is a senior author for GOLF Journal/GOLF.com. The Williamstown, Mass. native joined GOLF in 2017 after two years scuffling on the mini-tours. Dethier is a graduate of Williams Faculty, the place he majored in English, and he’s the writer of 18 in America, which particulars the yr he spent as an 18-year-old residing from his automotive and taking part in a spherical of golf in each state.
