Caitlin Clark poised to make LPGA appearance after joking about becoming a golf pro
Following the conclusion of her incredible rookie season, Caitlin Clark joked that her time off would be spent in pursuit of becoming a pro golfer on the LPGA Tour. She also expressed a desire to improve her basketball game, but she was not entirely joking about the golf, as Clark is poised to play in an LPGA Tour event., according to golf reporter Josh Carpenter.
Carpenter said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that Clark, the Indiana Fever star and former number one overall pick in the WNBA Draft, will be part of a leadership summit for the LPGA Tour next month at the ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican.
According to the report, she will take part in the pro-am on Wednesday before the tournament tees off. She and the tournament are both sponsored by Gainbridge.
Following the Fever being swept out of the playoffs, Clark was asked about her plans, and she jokingly said,
"Maybe play some golf. I think that's what I'm going to do until it gets too cold in Indiana. So I got that, I'll become a professional golfer."
The LPGA Tour shared the press conference video clip and said,
"Count us in, @CaitlinClark22"
Less than a couple of weeks later, she's set to play in a golf tournament, as part of the celebrity pro-am.
When Zach Johnson played a course with Caitlin Clark
PGA Tour professional Zach Johnson gave his take on college basketball in 2023. He played 18 holes with Clark, and after shared a tale from the Masters that year, from the same day as the NCAA Division I championship game in women’s basketball between Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes and the LSU Tigers.
The golfer had been prepping for one of the biggest tournaments in the entire sport, but he noted that the focus was not on that event.
He said (via the PGA Tour),
“I’m at Augusta National the Sunday before the Masters, and the Drive, Chip and Putt is commencing. They asked some former champions to hand out awards to these youngsters, which is awesome. But the buzz around Augusta National was about the game coming up that afternoon.”
He added,
“I don’t know if transcendent is the right word. but what happened in the NCAA women’s tournament – as an Iowan but also as a fan of sports – was just spectacular.”
Clark was involved in the pro-am that week, and Johnson joined her for the back nine to see if she could golf as well as she could play basketball. Caitlin Clark played well during the first nine holes in that outing.