Well, that was close!
On the 1st tee at The Pelican Golf Club, the host of this week’s LPGA event, Caitlin Clark, playing in the Pro-Am alongside Nelly Korda, looked like a weekend warrior.
Her opening tee shot almost struck some fans, as hundreds of people lined the ropes to watch her play on Wednesday. Luckily for Clark, her ball did not hit anyone, but she wisely had another ball in her pocket.
So, as any amateur player would do after topping their opening shot, Clark took a ‘Breakfast Ball’ and striped her second shot down the middle of the fairway.
Here is another angle of Clark’s tee shot:
“You know, I’m just the average golfer. I’m going to hit some good, I’m going to hit some bad,” Clark said on Tuesday ahead of the Pro-Am.
“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.”
The WNBA superstar, who says she is a 16-handicap and strives to shoot in the 80s, ultimately achieved her goal, as she did not hit anyone standing outside the ropes. But she must have felt uneasy in that situation, and understandably so. She said she would feel nervous on Wednesday, but she also said she would shrug it off, a testament to her infectious personality that seemingly the entire country has fallen in love with.
“I remind myself, like I don’t really care what happens. Doesn’t really matter. I don’t play golf for a living. Just have fun with it. This isn’t super serious. Enjoy the experience,” Clark added on Tuesday.
“So many people would kill to be in my position or in my shoes. The people following outside the ropes would love an opportunity to hit a ball on the first tee or something like that.”
Even though she plays basketball in front of sold-out arenas across the country, with the spotlight always on her, playing golf with hundreds of people watching from close-up packs a different punch—especially for an amateur player.
Yet, after playing the first hole, her nerves subsided later in the round as she drained a long putt on the front nine, even celebrating with a fist pump.
Her experience thus far in the Pro-Am has been memorable, as the ‘Caitlin Clark Fever’ has taken the golf world by storm. But the superstar herself is so reflective, holistic, and genuine—a true leader in every sense of the word. Her perspective is something everyone should try to relate to, even though she is already a legend within the sporting world, a title associated with a very small number of people.
“Just remind yourself how cool this experience is, and don’t let it pass you by. I think that’s anything I do in life,” Clark added Tuesday.
“Whatever I get to do and the opportunities I have, soak it in. A lot of people would trade and want to have these opportunities as well.”
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
