Caitlin Clark’s golf handicap (plus 5 different issues we discovered about her)

Caitlin Clark has one purpose for this week’s LPGA pro-am look.

“I don’t wish to hit anybody with a golf ball. That’s my No. 1 precedence,” she mentioned.

The WNBA’s greatest star touched down on Florida’s west coast on Tuesday forward of her much-anticipated displaying in The Annika’s Wednesday pro-am, the place she’ll play 9 holes with match host Annika Sorenstam and 9 extra with World No. 1 Nelly Korda. However not like most of her fellow rivals, Clark obtained a pre-pro-am press convention. Two of ’em, actually. Clark talked sports activities, management and sure, a bit golf alongside Sorenstam.

Right here’s what we discovered:

Clark is a 16 handicap

“I’ve tried to follow as a lot as I can. I imply, you recognize, I’m simply the typical golfer. I’m going to hit some good, I’m going to hit some unhealthy. It’s what it’s,” Clark mentioned. She’s been working with Martha Lobby-Faulconer, the professional at Crooked Stick in Carmel, Ind., and he or she’s clearly gifted — however nonetheless honing in her scoring.

“My handicap is like 16,” she mentioned. “Stroke-a-hole, common golfer.”

Clark obtained a bit extra particular: Her finest rounds are within the mid-80s, she mentioned.

“However often I’m simply praying to interrupt 100.”

Clark performed ‘actually all the pieces’ rising up

It’s at all times fascinating to listen to professional golfers discuss which different sports activities they performed rising up. It was fascinating to listen to a non-golfer clarify the place golf and different sports activities slot in, too.

“I grew up taking part in actually all the pieces and I used to be tremendous aggressive,” she mentioned. “My dad and mom simply tossed me on the market and wished me to get my vitality out. Whether or not it was soccer, softball, golf, monitor, I actually did all of it. Once I obtained into highschool, I knew basketball was my future. I beloved it and I wished to follow it.”

That was an understatement. It seems Clark wished to follow basketball a lot that it truly irritated her teammates in different sports activities.

“That was most likely what set [basketball] other than all the opposite sports activities I performed,” she mentioned. “They had been simply sort of like, for enjoyable with my buddies. I used to be actually aggressive, however I didn’t take further trip of my day to go work on my sport and be higher than everyone else.

“I feel that’s what helped work out the trail I wished to take. Like, I bear in mind in highschool I performed soccer and I used to be on varsity and I beloved it. However my teammates would get mad as a result of I might go and follow and work out and do basketball proper earlier than we had our soccer video games. They like, couldn’t consider I used to be doing that. I had to surrender soccer though I beloved it.”

Sitting beside her, Sorenstam might relate.

“I performed soccer, too,” she mentioned. “You mentioned tennis, that was actually my love. Rising up in Sweden it was Bjorn Borg, nationwide hero, and I attempted all the pieces he did, but it surely didn’t work out.”

Clark schedules out her offseason weeks

Need to higher set up your life? Comply with Clark’s Sunday routine.

“Gosh, now that I’m not in-season, I attempt to plan my week out earlier than I begin the week, like each Sunday,” she mentioned. “I feel that helps me know precisely what I’ve to get performed, once I’m going to get my exercises in. I’m anyone that I have to know once I’m going to work out, whether or not that’s basketball, weightlifting, this or that.”

The planning, Clark mentioned, helps her keep accountable. And sure, she’s old-school in her group:

“I sit down and use pen and paper and write it out. I don’t even sort in my notes. That’s simply how I do issues. I really feel good and know precisely what I’ve to get performed.

“When you accomplish these issues, you are feeling such as you’re in a very good place.”

There’s one space Clark prefers golf to basketball

“What’s so lovely about golf is, I feel, being outdoors, I really like that,” she mentioned. “That’s the of the one unhealthy factor in regards to the WNBA. It’s within the spring and summer time, fall. I miss a number of alternative to play golf. Now that the season ended, I attempt to play as a lot as I can.”

It’s getting chilly in Indianapolis, Clark mentioned, the place she’s been spending her time. However she has a household journey to Arizona arising; she’ll be bringing her golf equipment.

“It’s one thing enjoyable to do,” she mentioned. “I make it aggressive. Go on the market with your mates and have as a lot enjoyable as you may and do one thing outdoors of basketball is basically what I really like about it.”

Clark watched Rory McIlroy rising up

Clark isn’t a part of the post-Covid golf increase — she was keen to observe and play from a younger age.

“Truthfully I attempted to observe as a lot as I can,” she mentioned, requested for her {golfing} origin story. “Rory was most likely certainly one of my favourite gamers rising up. I might have the TV on watching him. I had this pink cute golf membership set rising up that I obtained for certainly one of my birthdays. I might beg my dad to take me out and go {golfing}.

“I bear in mind once I had one off weekend of not taking part in soccer or basketball, no matter it was, I begged my dad to take me. Clearly wasn’t superb, however I simply beloved being outdoors and making an attempt one thing new and the problem of golf. Clearly so much completely different from positively basketball and the crew facet. It’s far more particular person. In order that’s one other problem I really like about it, too.”

Two issues set her aside

OK, most likely greater than two issues. However when Clark was requested what drives her, she knew precisely what to say.

The primary?

“Desirous to be the perfect. Like, I don’t need anybody to be higher than me in no matter it’s. I simply wish to be higher than everyone else,” she mentioned.

The second?

“I feel I’m very actual with myself, too. I do know once I possibly haven’t performed my finest in one thing I’m going to be the primary individual to look within the mirror and know what I have to get higher at.

“These two issues assist me be the perfect. I may be very trustworthy and actual with myself. Positively the youthful technology struggles with that. They at all times wish to level fingers.”

Has Clark grasped the magnitude of her rise to stardom? Primarily based on what she says, it looks like she has. It’s simply that she appears so down-to-earth about the entire thing that you just nearly neglect simply how out-of-this-world your complete factor has been.

“For me, it’s actually cool to see the best way issues have modified,” she mentioned. “Once I first began in faculty, it was Covid, so not many individuals within the stands, possibly nobody, then 300 folks, family and friends solely.

“By the point I used to be at my senior 12 months, you couldn’t get a ticket until you had been going to pay some huge cash. It’s simply actually cool to see how all the pieces has modified.

“I’ve tried to remain the identical individual I used to be as a bit woman rising up with the boys. I really feel like I’m simply me and that’s when folks love and may relate to. Simply keep that means that retains it enjoyable and what I take pleasure in about it.”

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