Annika Sorenstam says Caitlin Clark is doing more than turning heads around golf events. She is pulling in a new crowd, and Sorenstam says that matters for women's golf now.
Sorenstam told News Digital that Clark brings a new demographic to the game and that fans show up to see her play, chase her shots and ask for her autograph when she appears in a pro-am. Clark played in the ANNIKA Pro-Am, and Sorenstam said that kind of attention makes her great for women's sports, not just basketball. The Hall of Fame golfer, who won 72 LPGA Tour tournaments including 10 majors, added that Clark would do quite well at the American Century Championship because she is a strong athlete and has played golf for many years.
The timing matters because Sorenstam is set to play in the American Century Championship on Friday while Clark cannot take part in the celebrity golf event because of the WNBA schedule. That leaves Sorenstam, who has long used the Annika Foundation to empower and advance young women through golf and life skills, making the case that Clark's pull is real even when she is not on the entry list.
There is still a gap between the buzz and the numbers. Sorenstam said people attend Clark's pro-am appearances and follow every shot, but she did not put a figure on how much that attention has grown or how many first-time fans have been converted into regular followers of the game. What is clear is that Clark has become a rare crossover name in golf, and Sorenstam is treating that as a lift for the sport rather than a novelty that will fade.
