Caitlin Clarks foray into golf almost had disastrous consequences leaving Nelly Korda stunned.
Clark has swapped the court for the course following her WNBA Rookie of the Year season with the Indiana Fever. Having transcended basketball, the 22-year-old is in demand, accepting an invitation to play in The Annika Pro-Am event, named after legendary womens golfer Annika Sorenstam.
Clark played with Sorenstam and LPGA Tour Player of the Year Korda as the tournament got underway at Pelican Golf Club, Florida. However, any thoughts of a career switch may be on hold after footage emerged of her horribly hooking a tee shot right into the crowd.
Caitlin Clark sets ‘number one priority’ for new career during WNBA offseason
At head height, the rapidly moving ball could have caused injury but thankfully the patrons nearby were paying attention, and quickly diving out of the way. On the other side of the tea box, Korda, who had presumably been expecting better, wore a look of shock.
Clark, meanwhile, took it all in her stride, smiling before casually pulling another ball and tee out of her pocket and having another go. It came after she said, pre-tournament, that she was hoping not to embarrass herself.
She said: “I’ve tried to practice as much as I can. I’m just the average golfer. I’m going to hit some good, I’m going to hit some bad. It is what it is.
“Just going to try not to hit anyone standing outside of the ropes. But it’ll be fun. I’m excited for it. I think I’m just excited honestly. I’m not a professional golfer, so I think just having fun.”
Ahead of the tournament, Clark was moved to clarify that she was not really pondering a career switch to golf. Having joked about such a move, she said at the LPGA Women’s Leadership Summit: “No, I’ve practised a little bit and I just had the quote about becoming a professional golfer. Everybody thought I was serious. I was not serious.
Addressing her passion for golf, she said: I love it. I love being outside and making it competitive with my friends.”
Having tried multiple sports as a child, she knew basketball was her calling. Clark said: “When I got into high school, I knew basketball was my future. I loved it, and I wanted to practice it. I think that was different.
“I wanted to get better. I wanted to spend time working on my game. That was probably what set that apart from all the other sports I played.
“[The other sports] were just fun with my friends. I was really competitive, but I didnt take extra time out of my day to work on my game and be better than everybody else. I think thats what helped me figure out the path I wanted to take.”