Golf Legend Drops Truth About Caitlin Clark's Fairway Foray
Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark is taking part in "The Annika" LPGA Pro-Am golf tournament in Florida on November 12. This marks the second straight year that Clark is participating in the tournament, which is the best opportunity that her massive fan base has to see her compete since she suffered a groin injury in the middle of July that ultimately kept her out for the rest of the 2025 WNBA season.
While Clark's participation in last year's event wasn't all smooth sailing from her golf standpoint, her appearance and inclusion in the Pro-Am was a major win for the sport of golf. It brought a ton of new eyes to the sport and added a level of interest from the women's basketball community that would not have been there if she hadn't corralled her clubs and hit the fairway.
Nobody understands this better than golf legend Annika Sorenstam, who is the host and namesake for "The Annika" event.
Annika Sorenstam Speaks on Caitlin Clark's Golf Event Inclusion
Sorenstam (who has 72 LPGA Tour wins and 10 major championship wins in her iconic career) did a November 10 interview with the Golf Channel. And the first few questions she was asked pertained to No. 22.
"She adds so much to the tournament," Sorenstam said when asked about the value of Clark's presence in the tournament. "I really didn't know what to expect last year. I mean, she's [the] talk of the town, and such a superstar in a lot of ways. She added so much excitement to the tournament; we had a lot of people come out, they were standing on the first tee at 7 AM, waiting for her to see that first shot.
"But just her engagement with the fans, and her being so relatable, and I don't know. She loves the game of golf," Sorenstam continued of Clark. "And I'm so glad that she wanted to come back because, you know, it brings more people to the game, brings more people to the tournament, and that's really what we're looking for."
The first questions Annika Sorenstam gets asked about her pro am this weekend are about… of course, Caitlin Clark.
— allison (@_girltalk) November 11, 2025
The Golf Channel asked about what she brings to the tournament & also what it’s like to play with a person who’s ‘the best at their game’ pic.twitter.com/cIWpN4aFaQ
Sorenstam later added, "We're making sure everybody can enjoy her presence, and being part of the tournament. We just didn't really know what to expect last year, and I think the response was very positive. So now we're trying to make sure that everybody gets a piece of it, and also that she can enjoy it, and feel like she's having a good time."
"We have so many young girls out there on that Wednesday just wanting to sign, you know, an autograph, where they brought you a basketball, or a hat, or something. It was just nice to see a new demographic enter the golf course."
Women's basketball fans are used to the sight of Clark being hounded for autographs and other fan interactions. And they'll surely get to see that on the golf course once again on Wednesday.
Recommended Reading:
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.
Follow GrvntYoung