Caitlin Clark Explains Reason for Running Back Offseason Competition
Less than an hour after her rookie WNBA season ended with the Indiana Fever in 2024, superstar guard Caitlin Clark jokingly announced her intentions to become a professional golfer during that upcoming offseason.
While Clark was only kidding, the reality is that she spent much of the ensuing months on golf courses. The most notable of these outings was her participation in an LPGA golfing pro-am competition that was hosted by Annika Sorenstam, which was called "The Annika".
Because the event was broadcast, fans got to see Clark competing on the golf course less than two months after her time competing on the basketball court in 2024 ended. And while the then-22-year-old did have a couple of shanks sprinkled in to her outing, she still produced a good showing of herself and looked to have a blast.
Caitlin Clark Conveys Reason for Returning to The Annika Golf Competition
It seems that Clark enjoyed the pro-am competition enough that she wants to run it back in 2025, which was revealed through an October 16 article from The Athletic.
In the article, Clark is quoted as saying, “I had an amazing time at The Annika last November and participating in the Pro-Am alongside Nelly Korda and Annika Sorenstam, two of the best in the game. I’m honored to be an ambassador for a company in Gainbridge that is so committed to elevating women’s sports. I can’t wait to return to Tampa in November to play in the Pro-Am with the best women golfers in the world.”
Annika Sorenstam (whose event it is) was also quoted in the article talking about Clark's return to the pro-am. “It was an honor to play in the pro-am with Caitlin last year. The crowds were amazing, and we are excited for her return to The Annika in November. She added such a great dynamic to our event, and her passion for golf and competitiveness were fun to witness firsthand. I look forward to having her back and continuing to introduce the great game of golf to the next generation.”
📝: Caitlin's statement on her return to The Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican. She is scheduled to participate in the pro-am on 12 November:https://t.co/0IJb8KuLGJ pic.twitter.com/xwAYp1z2mt
— offszn caitlin clark source (@CLRKSOURCE) October 16, 2025
While No. 22 is surely not lacking in money, the fact that there's a $3.25 million purse surely is another incentive for her to put her best foot forward in the pro-am.
The biggest difference from a fan's perspective from Clark competing last year compared to this year is that she hasn't competed in a women's basketball game since July 15, and fans have been itching to see the Fever star doing what she does best.
While they would prefer Clark's return to competition in basketball, these fans will take anything they can get at this point, even if it's golf.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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