For the second year in a row, Caitlin Clark joined the stars of the LPGA Tour for The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican’s pro-am. However, this year, the Fever’s Sophie Cunningham and Lexie Hull along with NASCAR driver Carson Hocevar and two-time gold medalist Briana Scurry joined the group as celebrity caddies.
While Clark didn’t play with Annika Sorenstam this year, she did play her front nine with three-time The ANNIKA champion Nelly Korda and the back nine with sponsor invite and recent NCAA Champion Lauryn Nguyen.
As expected, the crowds came out early to watch the WNBA superstar play and joke around with her teammates. Clark’s competitiveness was there, but so was her ability to enjoy the day and chat with her other playmates, CEO and President of Group 1001 Dan Towriss and Jordan Jackson. Gainbridge, the title sponsor of the event, is a subsidiary of Group 1001. Clark also serves as a brand ambassador for Gainbridge, and Nguyen’s sponsor exemption came from Clark and Gainbridge.
Clark’s self-proclaimed best shot was her 35-foot putt on hole 10. Her Fever teammates cheered her along, and the crowd went wild. Hole 10 was a beacon for excitement, because it’s also where each celebrity caddie teed off. While Cunningham hit into the crowd, Hocevar bombed it 260 yards and the group ended up taking his tee shot.
Scurry enjoyed supporting other women in sports and sees a bright future for Nguyen. While the 10th tee didn’t bring up as many nerves as her penalty kick save in the 1999 World Cup, she did succeed in making contact with the ball just as she did 26 years ago.
After Clark signed a few autographs, she headed to a press conference where Gainbridge Assists presented Clark with a $22,000 check for her foundation and Nguyen a $5,000 check for hers, the DUC Foundation. Nguyen’s foundation provides educational and volunteering opportunities for disadvantaged youth.
Fairway to Green’s Kelly Okun was able to ask Clark a question in the press conference about golf and basketball. Check it out below!
