WATCH: Caitlin Clark shines where Tiger Woods held back in golf
WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark took part in Annika Sorenstam's Pro-Am golf tournament, drawing fans akin to what Tiger Woods drew.
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Tiger Woods and WNBA star Caitlin Clark
Caitlin Clark pulled millions of viewers throughout her rookie WNBA season. It helped her Indiana Fever sell more ticket sales than their much more valuable NBA counterparts. But what happened at a golf tournament made the likes of Tiger Woods look bleak in front of the basketball superstar.
Gainbridge sponsors the Fever’s arena and also The Annika, a Pro-Am golf tournament which is a part of the LPGA Tour. Going by that association, they invited Caitlin Clark to be a part of the tournament. Yesterday, she was part of a packed ballroom at the Pelican Golf Club in Tampa Bay, Florida.
With reports of a 12x increase in ticket sales, it all came down to when Clark lined up to tee off at 7 am. Fans surrounded the course just to watch the basketball sensation play golf with the pros. But what truly showed how magnetic she is as a superstar was when they removed the ropes to allow fans to seek autographs.
Instantly, hordes of fans surrounded her, and event security had a tough time keeping her safe. Such a phenomenon has rarely been seen in golf. Sports reporter Christine Brennan has covered golf and other sports for a long time. Seeing this unfold, she wrote this on her X account.
I’ve covered golf my entire career. Currently, I’m writing a book on Caitlin Clark. I’ve seen lots of autograph scrums for male golfers, but none with this emotion and energy. It would have happened for Tiger, but he wouldn’t sign autographs. Clark does this everywhere she goes.
Christine Brennan wrote on X
I’ve covered golf my entire career. Currently, I’m writing a book on Caitlin Clark. I’ve seen lots of autograph scrums for male golfers, but none with this emotion and energy. It would have happened for Tiger but he wouldn’t sign autographs. Clark does this everywhere she goes. https://t.co/3E0dimQAp6
— Christine Brennan (@cbrennansports) November 13, 2024
Her words give Clark praise for being fan-friendly when signing autographs. Something Tiger Woods was never known to do. This does bring another angle to golf, basketball, or any sports in particular – fan engagement works wonders.
Professional golfers track down Caitlin Clark for pictures
It was not just fans who thronged the Pelican Golf Club to capture Caitlin Clark taking a swing. Professional golfers were also in awe of the WNBA superstar considering how popular she has become in the span of a few years.
One LPGA Tour winner in particular, Maria Fassi, walked all the way from her part of the course to where the 22-year-old was playing. After waiting for her to finish her drive, O’Toole went up to Clark to meet her. Then she summoned Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam for pictures. Another golfer asked her to sign a basketball for her children.
they were so excited to meet her https://t.co/qJJtuuuEPz pic.twitter.com/EokebLZp4c
— correlation (@nosyone4) November 13, 2024
Gainbridge sponsored Andretti Global’s IndyCar drivers Colton Herta and Marcus Ericsson were also at the tournament. But the most they did was stand around watching Caitlin Clark go through her rounds. Herta is currently second in the IndyCar series, one of the most prestigious motor racing series in the US.
If anything, this shows that the WNBA Rookie of the Year towers above most sporting athletes when it comes to popularity. If she continues to build on her debut season success, it could be possible that she catapults herself to be one of the most popular athletes in the world.
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Joseph Varghese
(2447 Articles Published)