It turns out Caitlin Clark’s deadly precision on the basketball court doesn’t quite translate to the golf course. The Iowa Hawkeyes star, known for draining three-pointers with ease, took part in “The Annika” LPGA pro-am event in Florida this week and nearly made headlines in the most unathletic way possible—by almost hitting a fan with a wayward drive.
Clark, 22, is no stranger to pressure. She regularly delivers clutch performances with the Indiana Fever, but her golf swing? Well, let’s just say it’s still a work in progress. Tension built as she stepped onto the tee, joined by golf royalty Annika Sörenstam and World No. 1 Nelly Korda. But Clark didn’t exactly “stick the landing,” unless you count narrowly missing a group of fans who probably weren’t expecting to play dodgeball with golf balls that day.
“I’m just your average golfer,” Clark admitted, underselling her talent on the greens, as well as her likelihood of hitting someone. “I’ll hit some good, I’ll hit some bad.” That much was clear when her opening swing nearly turned into a real-life game of avoid the golf ball. Though Clark had mentioned her goal was simply not to hit anyone, that prophecy almost didn’t come true.
While the drive in question found its way to the fairway (eventually), her fans were left wondering if basketball and golf require two completely different skill sets—or if maybe Clark was just testing out her three-point range on the fairway. “Just trying not to hit anyone outside the ropes,” she laughed, her nerves seemingly more in control after the near miss.
Despite her, let’s say, adventurous swing, Clark took it all in stride. “I’m not a pro golfer,” she joked, “so I think I’m just here to have fun.” We can only assume the fans dodging her balls are equally glad she’s keeping things lighthearted.
Clark’s love affair with golf isn’t new—though her talent on the course may still be in development. When the Fever missed out on the WNBA playoffs this year, she joked about playing as much golf as possible before the Indiana weather forced her indoors. But if her performance at The Annika is anything to go by, her local courses might want to take out extra insurance.
In fact, Clark hinted at the chaos herself during a pre-event interview. “There’s only so much hope. You just cross your fingers and pray,” she said. You could almost hear the fans crossing their fingers too, especially when her club made contact with the ball. But hey, at least it was an unforgettable round of golf!
For now, Clark will have to rely on her basketball skills to keep her in the limelight, although she’s made it clear she’s having a blast with this whole golf thing—even if it’s not exactly her forte. So, while she may not be turning in her basketball shoes for golf cleats anytime soon, she’s definitely giving her fans something to talk about until WNBA season rolls around again.
Who knows? Maybe with a few more pointers from Annika and Nelly, Clark might just swap her three-point shot for a hole-in-one—just as long as everyone stays safely behind the ropes.
