Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
THE TEE BOX — If nothing else, Caitlin Clark proved just how human she is after teeing it up at the pro-am at Pelican Golf Club ahead of the LPGA Tour's The Annika.
The 22-year-old WNBA star with the Indiana Fever showed off her 16 handicap at the tournament hosted by Annika Sorenstam extended an invitation to play with her.
Clark even got to play the back nine with Sorenstam, the all-time Swedish legend with 72 wins on the LPGA Tour and 10 major titles, and added nine holes with Nelly Korda, the No. 1-ranked women's golfer competing for the first time in close to two months after a neck injury.
But there's probably at least one shot Clark wants back.
That would be the one on the third hole of the day, when Clark took a hybrid aimed at the green — that landed in the middle of a group of spectators standing behind the ropes not far from the tee.
For her part, Clark immediately apologized — you can hear her yelp, "Sorry!" in the video below, followed by rounds of laughter as no one was (thankfully) initially hurt — and immediately reached into her pocket for a second ball.
Caitlin Clark delivers a souvenir to a fan, very thoughtful
— Jay Busbee (@jaybusbee) November 13, 2024
pic.twitter.com/UNZA2GqZAg
Here's another angle, with a warning for some minor NSFW (but expected) language attached to the video.
Not your typical Caitlin Clark courtside seats, that's for sure.
— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) November 13, 2024
(via _homeofdiesel//TikTok) pic.twitter.com/nN7KzNMiki
Ironically, one of Clark's biggest fears before teeing up in her first LPGA event was that she might shank a shot towards a fan in the gallery.
"I'm going to hit some good, I'm going to hit some bad," she said prior to the tournament, per Yahoo! Sports. "Just going to try not to hit anyone standing outside of the ropes. But it'll be fun."
The lucky fan probably wasn't thinking much of the errant tee shot, either — just happy to have a souvenir from one of the greatest women's basketball players of her generation.
Caitlin Clark owning the day @theANNIKAlpga.. And when she tugged a tee shot into the bougainvillea on the third, a lucky fan found her ball. #lpga#PelicanGolfClubpic.twitter.com/GcLIoX14Cl
— Jeff Babineau (@JeffBabz62) November 13, 2024