BELLEAIR, Florida – “Please, don’t push!”
“Guys, you’ve got to stop pushing.”
“Caitlin, please! Caitlin, please!”
“Breathe, everybody.”
Caitlin Clark mania descended upon the LPGA Wednesday, transforming what’s normally a sleepy pro-am day into a must-see event. After splitting her 18-hole round alongside World No. 1 Nelly Korda and Annika Sorenstam, Clark made her way to the rope line behind the 18th green at Pelican Golf Club to sign autographs. The frenzied crowd swarmed to get to her, holding out posters, jerseys and basketballs.
Caitlin Clark at Pelican: Photos with Nelly | Gold shoes | Wayward shot
Security officials encouraged everyone to relax amidst the crushing support. The crowd following Clark’s foursome on Wednesday was larger than what many final-round groups attract on the LPGA.
From the moment Clark stepped on the first tee just before 7 a.m., fans lined the fairway for a rare close-up view of the WNBA superstar. Terry and Tina Beert came down from Davenport, Iowa, to watch Clark. Tina wore a sign on her hat that said, “It takes an Iowa village.”
Five-time LPGA winner Barb Mucha, now 61, drove over from Orlando, Florida, to watch the pro-am. She didn’t watch women’s basketball until Clark came on the scene.
“The way she draws everybody together,” marveled Mucha, “She’s like a Michael Jordan, like a Billie Jean King.”
Current LPGA player Maria Fassi chased Clark down the 18th fairway so that she could beat the rush of fans. She wanted a photo, but she also wanted to say thank you.
“Being out here and supporting us, but also what she’s doing for women’s sports,” said Fassi, “it goes beyond the basketball court or the golf course. I think she’s changing a lot of people’s lives, and I wanted to make sure she heard it from me as well.”
What a scene here at the end! Caitlin Clark madness. pic.twitter.com/D6d15BdQ9s
— Beth Ann Nichols (@GolfweekNichols) November 13, 2024
Fassi, for the record, also didn’t watch women’s basketball before Clark, echoing a common refrain.
Clark showed up on the range 18 minutes before her 7 a.m. tee time and hit fewer than 20 balls. She started off with a worm-burner but found a groove, easing in by teeing up a few irons.
On the first tee, Clark played her left-to-right shot to perfection, finding the way to the delight of the adoring crowd. She played from the same tees as Korda and playing partners Dan Towriss, president and CEO of Group 1001 and Gainbridge, and Jason Rickard, who played collegiate golf at Iowa.
“It was so amazing,” said Korda. “She’s so sweet, so nice. It was nice it kind of get to spend some time with her. We’ve messaged a little on Instagram beforehand but to get to spend some time with her and to see the influence that she has on people, bringing people out here, and to see how amazing of an influence she is just for sports, was really cool to see firsthand today. … We just felt like two friends hanging out.”
Clark engaged regularly with fans outside the ropes and smiled profusely. Bad shots did nothing to spoil her day.
“She’s super mature for 22,” said Sorenstam. “I’m going like, wow, she’s 22; I’m 32 years older. Yeah, 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.”
Clark loves to pound drivers and wasn’t afraid to step up and give it a rip. The natural athleticism and star power were on full display.
“It’s captivating,” said Mucha.
Sorenstam gave Clark a few pointers along the way, noting that when it’s windy, it’s important to find good tempo and get the clubface square to the target.
“She hits it a little quick,” said Sorenstam. “She played with Nelly on the front and Nelly is about power, so of course when you play with someone like that you want to swing harder and faster.”
Clark had one goal for the day: don’t hit anybody.
That actually happened on the par-3 ninth, where she missed one left with fans lined from tee to green.
“Thanks for the good kick, whoever I hit,” Clark joked as she walked up to her ball. She then autographed a ball for the fan and apologized.
“I got hit, too!” another fan yelled.
More than a dozen junior players from Miami made the trip up to watch Wednesday’s pro-am round. The LPGA-USGA Girls Golf crew held handmade signs for Clark. It was a good day to skip school.
“The young girls that are at our games having the time of their lives, all lof of them, if you go up to them start crying,” said Clark during Tuesday’s leadership summit. “It’s cute, but also I was just in their shoes however many years ago, I was begging my dad or my mom to take me to whatever sporting event it was and I was screaming, ‘I want to meet the players,’ whether they were a high school team or the pros or college because it was so impactful.”
She was well aware of how many young faces followed her for more than four hours on Wednesday.
Clark signed on with Gainbridge before she even turned professional, and her appearance this week was a natural fit for the partnership. The hope, of course, is that Clark returns to the tour for years to come. There’s a void of female celebrities in the game, making Clark’s presence all the more potent.
“It was so fun,” she said. “Obviously getting to see them do what they do up front, like people would pay for that. I got to do it for free and have fun with them. … Very lucky and fortunate.
“Hung in there, did alright. It was a good day.”
