WNBA star Clark plays with Korda at LPGA Tour pro-am
news/cms/202411/14/news-p.v1.20241114.176b271ea9184b50a8583d418e600d9d_R.jpg" data-width="1200" data-height="1800" /> Clark posing with Korda (right) to enlarge the photo. picture. AP Yonhap News
Caitlin Clark, the 2024 season rookie of the year in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), showed off her golf skills at the LPGA Tour Annika Driven Pro-Am event held in Bel Air, Florida, USA on the 14th (Korean time).
Clark, who also said, “I want to become a professional golfer” after finishing the WNBA season in September of this year, played the first nine holes of the pro-am event with world No. 1 Nellie Korda (USA) on the course, and the second half of the nine holes were part of the tournament. I played with the host, Annika Sorenstam (Sweden).
With Clark’s appearance, a ‘cloud of spectators’ gathered at the previously quiet pro-am venue, turning it into a place of enthusiastic cheering. ESPN, an American sports media outlet, said, “It was a pro-am event before the start of the tournament, but more fans flocked than usual for LPGA tour tournaments. “After the game, Clark signed autographs for hundreds of fans,” he said, describing the local atmosphere.
news/cms/202411/14/news-p.v1.20241114.eb17fb58b8c049fc8036b12bdbe07879_R.jpg" data-width="1200" data-height="800" /> Enlarge photo A photo of Clark standing side by side with Sorenstam (left). AP Yonhap News
LPGA tour player Brittany Lincicome (USA) welcomed Clark’s attendance at the pro-am event, saying, “It’s helpful for the growth of women’s golf.” Corda, who played 9 holes with Clark, also said, “It’s an atmosphere I’ve never felt before.” “It was an amazing experience to see first-hand the impact Clark had on people and the sport.”
However, on this day, Clark sent his tee shot toward the left gallery, creating a dizzying scene that almost resulted in an injury. He also recorded the only birdie of the day on the 12th hole.
He explained his golf skills, saying, “If I’m lucky, I can score in the mid-80s, but usually I try not to exceed 100.”
news/cms/202411/14/news-p.v1.20241114.b3eaaa17c76749218ef1acb301409368_R.jpg" data-width="1200" data-height="904" /> Enlarged photo of Korda (left) and Clark (white top). AP Yonhap News
Clark, who was crowned Rookie of the Year in the WNBA this year, played at the University of Iowa before turning professional and created a ‘women’s basketball craze’ across the United States.
According to information analysis company Nielsen, the number of people who watched the final of the 2024 Women’s Basketball Championship held on April 7 was approximately 18.9 million. This figure was higher than the approximately 14 million viewers of the men’s college basketball finals held in the same season, making it the first time in history that women’s college basketball had higher viewer ratings than men’s college basketball.
Clark is the most popular female athlete in all of America. He was the first player to receive the James Sullivan Award, given to an elite sports athlete at an American university, twice, and also set the National Collegiate Sports Association (NCAA) record for the most points. Ahead of his entry into the professional ranks, global companies such as Gatorade, Buick, State Farm, and Goldman Sachs are rushing to sponsor him, including an 8-year sponsorship contract worth $28 million (approximately 39.4 billion won) with sports brand Nike.
