Caitlin Clark is used to having all the attention on her.
Despite being just 22 years old, she has forever changed sports. Therefore, it was no surprise that she attracted a large gallery playing in the Annika's pro-am Wednesday morning at Pelican Golf Club.
And though some imperfections in her golf game were exposed, Clark left a lasting impression on her two playing partners, Nelly Korda and Annika Sorenstam, two of the greatest female golfers.
“(Clark is) super mature for 22,” said Sorenstam, a 72-time LPGA winner. “I’m going like, 'Wow, she's 22; I’m 32 years older.’ She's an older woman in a younger body if you know what I mean. In a good way. She handles herself really well and good with people, says the right things."
Sorenstam also noted how she saw the competitiveness in Clark’s personality come out when the Indiana Fever star didn't hit a good shot. Korda, however, mostly saw Clark having fun while being cool, calm and collected.
“Was great to see how relaxed she was,” Korda said. “Obviously with the media attention she has gotten probably in the past year and a half, two years, you can see how she's comfortable playing in front of a larger crowd. And she was just really enjoying it. You can tell.”
Overall, it was a day to remember for Clark.
“It was so fun," the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year said. “Obviously, getting to see (Sorenstam and Korda) do what they do up front is like—people would pay for that. I got to do it for free and have fun with them. Definitely a fun morning. Feel very thankful that Gainbridge had me out here. Obviously, their support of women's sports is tremendous. Very lucky and fortunate. Hung in there; did alright. It was a good day.”
As Korda and Sorenstam have done to the LPGA in their respective careers, Clark has brought tremendous attention to the WNBA—and women's sports in general. So much, that Sorenstam, who played on tour full-time from 1994-2008, has never seen a pro-am gallery like the one Clark drew.
“On the LPGA? No,” the 54-year-old Swede said when asked if she's ever seen a crowd like this on a Wednesday. “I think it's awesome. I love all the young girls with the signs. Nothing we would really see on a normal Wednesday. It's just great how it brings attention to the tournament.”
And growing the game is way more important than whatever Clark’s scorecard looked like on Wednesday.
“It's great for women's sports,” Korda said. “I love that (Clark) has a love for the game of golf. Me, I’ve never really tuned into watching basketball before her honestly. I think it's just growing the interest in all of women's sports. I hope that's what grows from this relationship.”
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Caitlin Clark Had Annika Sorenstam, Nelly Korda in Awe With Her Personality, Calm Demeanor.
