The Caitlin Clark fervor continues to explode across the country.
Not only is she teeing it up in the Wednesday Pro-Am at The Annika, but the LPGA and Golf Channel decided to expand its coverage so that fans can watch her play next week.
According to Josh Carpenter of Sports Business Journal, LPGA and tournament social channels will livestream Clark’s warmup on the driving range and conduct an in-round walk-and-talk interview, which has grown in popularity on golf broadcasts in recent years. Then, Golf Channel’s daily news show, “Golf Today,” which usually airs at 12:30 p.m. ET, will move up to 11 a.m. ET on Wednesday to show live look-ins and highlights from Clark’s round.
Clark will also play the front nine with World No. 1 Nelly Korda, who has six wins this season. The former Iowa Hawkeye standout will tee it up with tournament host Annika Sorenstam on the back nine.
Sorenstam is excited to meet her for the first time and play with her.
“I’ve watched her, read about her. I’ve had a little communication through social media. But really don’t think that counts,” Sorenstam said in a pre-tournament press conference on Nov. 1.
“I’m looking forward to spending time with her and getting to know her. She’s just done so much for women’s sport. She’s the hottest thing right now. I’m glad she’ll take some time out of her busy schedule to come out and see what kind of golfer she is.”
The 10-time major champion is not the only one who expressed excitement over Clark’s appearance. World No. 2 Lilia Vu, who will arrive at The Annika next week as the defending champion, could not believe the news of Clark playing when it became public.
“When the news was announced, I immediately turned to my mom, and I’m like, ‘Oh, my gosh, Caitlin Clark is coming to the Pelican.’ I thought it was the coolest thing. Hopefully, I’m lucky enough to meet her on that pro-am day and hopefully run into her,” Vu said.
“It’s been so cool to see everything she’s done. I think she’s a great ambassador for women’s sports and someone you look up to, even though she’s younger than me. So that’s been really cool.”
What Clark has done in 2024 is nothing short of amazing. Her unbelievable performances are arguably the biggest story in the sporting world this year. She has taken the country by storm, a welcome sight as women’s sports continue to soar in popularity. Now, she gets to take her talents to the golf course, which everyone—from the fans to the players to the LPGA itself—is ecstatic about.
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.
