Caitlin Clark in the ANNIKA pro-am.
Getty Images, homeofdiesel//TikTok
Hello friends and welcome to this very special edition of the Rogers Report, which I will be focusing on Caitlin Clark’s appearance on The ANNIKA this week. Clark was part of the Women’s Leadership Summit together Annika Sorenstam on Tuesday, had a press conference Tuesday afternoon and released it in the Pro-Am first thing Wednesday morning. Talk about a busy schedule!
Number 22 of Indiana Fever and No. 1 of the World Nelly Korda played together on the front nine at Pelican Golf Club, and fans were bright and early to catch the action.
Side note: This might be the closest thing to an official jersey swap in golf, although I wouldn’t hate a Sun Day Red and Malbon Golf swap on the 18th green in a major if Tiger Woods and Jason Day sometimes agree on it. .
Caitlin Clark does the impossible
Caitlin Clark can do just about anything, as we’ve learned from watching her on the basketball court. However, she did something I never expected this week on ANNIKA: she was relatable. I think golf brings out the mortal in all of us, even Clark.
During Tuesday’s Women’s Leadership Summit, Clark provided a host of thoughtful answers to questions about sports and women’s leadership. She was also hilarious. When asked about her golf game, she explained that while she can hit the golf ball, it usually doesn’t go straight.
This is something all golfers have said hundreds of times. My other favorite moment from the summit was during a rapid fire question and answer session at the end. The moderator asked the panelists about their biggest fear. Annika Sorenstam and Kathy Ireland provided answers to failure and untapped potential. Clark said the cats. Apparently, her neighbor growing up had a nasty black cat and she’s been scared of them ever since. For a brief moment there, I saw myself in it.
I have to give a big shout out to Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nicholsbecause its content from ANNIKA is the backbone of today’s Rogers report. Nichols noted that while Clark eventually headed to the range before her time, it wasn’t until the last minute.
Nothing says “I’ve got a lot going on” like a last-minute warm-up on the range. I’ll never be late for a short time, but I often have to spend a proper warm-up in front of a rooftop with my friends because of work responsibilities or a million other things that sometimes get in the way. Also, 7:00 am already means you have an early riser! Good on Clark for doing what the rest of us often do and shortening the pre-round range session a bit.
And because Caitlin Clark’s grand final is relatable, we have her tee shot on the third hole. Please enjoy the video below before we really dive into it.
The overhead shot that goes straight into the rough is about as human as it gets.
It’s pretty safe to say that this was a different “courtside” experience for Caitlin Clark. I worry that fans standing by the ropes have gotten too comfortable at golf tournaments. Participating in a pro-am means knowing to stay a dozen or more yards from the fairway at all times—and even then, you can be pretty close. Golf can very easily become a contact sport during pro-ams. I have seen this happen with my own eyes many times.
However, Clark handled this situation like a true champ. I definitely would have wanted to disappear at that moment and I probably would have dropped the ball off my partners tee shot. Then again, maybe it helps that she’s a professional basketball player, so she knows that’s not her area of expertise. She apologized, laughed and took a mulligan without missing a beat. While many amateurs would have panicked about hitting it into the crowd a second time, Clark used the pressure to her advantage and hit the fairway.
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The fans
What’s better than missing school? Missing school to see Caitlin Clark and Nelly Korda. (Editor’s note: we here at the Rogers Report are big fans of education and taking the class. However, it’s not every day you get to see Caitlin Clark play golf, so we support the LPGA*USGA Girls Golf Group playing this one time only .)
I’d like to take a moment here to endorse the handmade signs on the golf course. They are a lot of fun to watch at other sporting events, and I can definitely get behind seeing more of them on the professional golf tour.
A positive result of Clark hitting some wrong shots on ANNIKA is the fact that she really got involved with the gallery. A woman in the gallery picked up Clark’s golf ball on the third hole, and I was delighted to learn that she plays number 22 on the golf course as well as on the basketball court.
The back nine
Clark went at it with LPGA legend and tournament host Annika Sorenstam on the back 9 on Wednesday, and it’s safe to say they’re a good team.
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Clark made some birdies today and please know that if I had been around for this I would have yelled “three!” as she drained this for bird on the front alongside Nelly Korda.
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deal
It’s been an incredibly exciting few days in the world of golf, and Clark’s participation in the ANNIKA pro-am got me thinking about my big takeaways from this week.
Nelly Korda and Caitlin Clark are alike
These Nike athletes in their 20s are at the top of their sport. It’s probably very hard to find people to go to for advice when you’re at that level. Few people know what it’s like to deal with the pressure of being the best, and I really hope that there is a blossoming friendship here. Looks like Korda and Clark had a great time chatting on the course!
We need more Caitlin Clark golf content
The people (golf fans locally and around the world) have spoken. If Caitlin Clark shows up, they will too. The crowds following Clark’s set on Wednesday were massive and her shot at #1 went viral by the time she made the turn at ANNIKA. I am in all collaborations with athletes from different sports following. In fact, I’d love to see Korda at an Indiana Fever practice at some point.
