Caitlin Clark impact in new sport felt already with broadcast change

WNBA star Caitlin Clark will tee it up at LPGA pro-am in November

Caitlin Clark has made a name for herself as one of the best basketball players on the planet, but now the WNBA star is set to show off her skills on the golf course

The LPGA and Golf Channel have opted to expand their coverage for next week’s event, the Annika Driven By Gainbridge, with WNBA star Caitlin Clark competing in the Pro-Am.

Golf Channel’s ‘Golf Today’ is set to begin 90 minutes early on the Wednesday of tournament week, and the show will be making live drop-ins to the Pro-Am event, with interest in Clark clear. Not only will the Indiana Fever star take to the course, but she will also do so alongside the No. 1 ranked female golfer in the world, Nelly Korda.

The two biggest names in the field in Clark and Korda will play alongside each other, with coverage of Clark’s pre-tournament warm-up and in-round interview included in the broadcast.

Clark has made no secret of her love for the game of golf, revealing that she had plans of becoming a professional at the sport during the WNBA offseason. “I’m going to play some golf, that is what I am going to do until it gets cold,” she told reporters in September.
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“So that could help me become a professional golfer,” she added with a smile. Clark will now get her chance to showcase her golf game alongside the best players in the world in next week’s Pro-Am event. Unsurprisingly, the Fever star is excited to show her fans what she can do.

“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,” Clark said. “I’m looking forward to seeing all the LPGA players on the driving range, being part of the Women’s Leadership Summit, and, of course, teeing it up in the pro-am with Annika.”

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This is not the first time Clark has been alongside some of the best players in the world, having previously competed in the John Deere Classic Pro-Am in 2023 on the PGA Tour. That day, the WNBA Rookie of The Year played alongside former U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson and world No. 4 Ludvig Aberg.

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Clark played alongside European starlet, Aberg on the front nine, before being joined by fellow Iowan, Johnson for her second nine holes on the back. “She’s a rock star,” Aberg said of the then-college basketball star. “I was just a passenger today. It was really cool.”

Once again expressing her love for golf, Clark said: “Not many people have this opportunity, and to do it essentially 45 minutes from where I play basketball is pretty cool,” she said. “I’m a big fan of golf. I love to play it and be around it. I think it’s just really fun. Every Sunday, I usually have the TV on and I am watching [the PGA Tour].

“More than anything else, this was about enjoying the experience,” she said of Wednesday’s turn inside the ropes. “It’s just cool getting to interact with the young kids who were here today. I was trying to make as much time as I could to sign an autograph, or give them a ball or a high five because that goes a long way.”