Caitlin Clark Proves Herself Relatable With Rare Miss at Golf Event, Nearly Hitting Spectators

The pro basketball player participated in the pro-am at The Annika on Nov. 13.

Caitlin Clark / Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images

We wouldn’t normally call Caitlin Clark’s athletic abilities relatable. Her impressive skill on the basketball court is anything but. After all, you don’t become the WNBA Rookie of the Year by notching “relatable” performances.

In fact, we would say her typical sports achievements are the exact opposite of that—unrelatable. And that extends to her endeavors beyond the basketball court. When the 2024 WNBA season ended, Clark jokingly declared her intention to become a professional golfer in the off-season. While an actual pro golf career might not be in the cards for the 22-year-old (she simply doesn’t have the time!), her message was clear: she’s determined to improve her game, and she’s been following through on it, too.

In the lead-up to the Nov. 13 pro-am at The Annika, the LPGA event taking place from Nov. 14-17 at Pelican Golf Club in Florida, Clark has been ironing out her game under the direction of former LPGA Tour player Martha Foyer-Faulconer. The former professional was thoroughly impressed by Clark’s skill and determination on the course. To Foyer-Faulconer, it was clear that “[Clark] wants to be as good as she can in everything she touches,” she told Golfweek. “She’s very driven and passionate. It’s fun to work with her.”

Given her fierce on-court demeanor, it comes as no surprise that Clark carries that same determination into all of her sporting endeavors. Despite her obvious skill and extensive preparation, though, the basketball player proved herself a little more relatable on the first tee at the pro-am on Wednesday.

With hundreds of people crowded around to watch Clark’s first drive, the pressure was on and nerves were likely running high. And her first drive was a testament to that. She stepped up to the tee and hit a drive that soared straight toward a group of fans surrounding the tee box.

Got a little dicey here! Caitlin’s No. 1 goal today is to not hit anyone! pic.twitter.com/npk8WnKW5H

— Beth Ann Nichols (@GolfweekNichols) November 13, 2024

It was a relatable moment from Clark—something we can’t often say of her sporting endeavors. But it was only the first drive of the day, and the athlete had several more holes ahead to redeem herself. Plus, she teed it up alongside world No. 1 Nelly Korda on the front nine and Annika Sorenstam (the former pro for whom the event is named) on the back nine, so she had plenty of opportunity to take pointers from the two incredible players.