Move over basketball courts, Caitlin Clark is trading her high-tops for golf cleats! Just when you thought the WNBA Rookie of the Year couldn’t get any more versatile, the Indiana Fever sensation decides to swap shooting hoops for swinging clubs. Caitlin Clark is about to go toe-to-toe with none other than 10-time Major champion Annika Sorenstam at an LPGA tournament. Yes, you read that right—Clark’s shifting gears to the greens, not for a casual round but for a Pro-Am event hosted by the golf legend herself.
Clark is set to participate in the “ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge” event, held from November 11 to 17 at the Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida. For those keeping track, this isn’t just a ‘let’s have fun’ moment—this is the real deal. And yes, the same Caitlin who sets WNBA records is now going to try her hand at setting some on the golf course!
From Breaking Ankles to Breaking Par
The tournament’s week-long itinerary will see Clark speaking at the Women’s Leadership Summit on November 12. Don’t expect the usual panel talk, though. Caitlin’s style is more ‘How to Win Rookie of the Year and Smash It at Every Sport’ rather than ‘how to manage your work-life balance.’ After dropping wisdom bombs at the Summit, she’ll hit the greens on November 13 for the Pro-Am event. With Annika Sorenstam’s name on the marquee, this promises to be an experience of tee-mendous proportions!
When asked about her upcoming golf outing, Caitlin said, “I love golf, so the opportunity to play in the Pro-Am for a tournament with a legend like Annika Sorenstam’s name on it is so exciting.” You bet it is! It’s like putting LeBron James in a baseball game alongside Babe Ruth—unexpected, yet strangely fitting.
WNBA Rookie by Day, Golf Pro by… November?
Just weeks after the Indiana Fever’s early playoff exit, Clark was itching to get back to action—but not on the basketball court. “I don’t know what I’m going to do tomorrow. I don’t know what I’m going to do the next day. Maybe play some golf,” she mused after the Fever’s elimination. “That’s what I’m gonna do until it gets too cold in Indiana. I’ll become a professional golfer.”
With that quote alone, Clark could have just as easily dropped the mic… or should I say, her putter? But she’s serious—serious enough that ESPN’s Ryan Ruocco revealed Clark won’t be suiting up for any offseason basketball. Nope, no overseas stint or new 3×3 league appearances for this rookie. Instead, she’s swapping the hardwood for the fairway until the Fever need her back in April.
A Golfer’s Resume… or a Rookie’s Record Book?
Don’t mistake her golf dalliance as just a hobby. This is the same Caitlin Clark who blitzed the WNBA in her rookie year, averaging 19.2 points, 8.4 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game. She set so many records, the Fever had to hire a new intern just to keep up! Among them: most assists in a single season by any player in league history, first rookie to post a triple-double in Fever history, and the first ever to tally two triple-doubles in her rookie campaign.
But her most iconic record? Setting a single-game assist mark at 19. That’s not just impressive; it’s a stat line that makes seasoned vets do a double-take. And now she’s taking that same competitive fire to a sport where you aim for low scores rather than high ones.
Why Golf, Though?
So, why the switch? Is Caitlin Clark bored of basketball already? Hardly! It’s more like, why limit yourself when you’ve got the skills—and the drive (pun intended)—to take on multiple sports? Maybe she’s aiming to be the Bo Jackson of women’s sports, or maybe she’s just having fun making the rest of us feel like underachievers. Either way, she’s stepping into this tournament not just to participate but to compete. After all, you don’t go toe-to-toe with Annika Sorenstam if you’re not in it to win it!
What’s Next for Clark?
As for what happens if Caitlin suddenly turns into the next big thing in women’s golf? Maybe she’ll leave the Fever hanging and join the LPGA tour full-time. Okay, not likely—she’s got too much left to accomplish in the WNBA. But one thing’s for sure: if Caitlin Clark decides to take on any new sport, it’s best to just hand her the ‘Rookie of the Year’ award and get out of her way.
So, watch out, LPGA. Caitlin Clark is coming—and she’s not here to lay up!