Getty Image / Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire
Caitlin Clark is better than most people at most things in life. That is to say, she’s gifted at pretty much everything she attempts. But we have evidence that CC is mortal after Clark shanked a ball hard into the crowd on the left of the tee while playing in the LPGA’s THE ANNIKA Pro-Am at the Pelican Golf Club, in Belleair, Florida on Wednesday morning.
Clark has had some excellent shots in her Pro-Am round with Nelly Korda, to be sure. But it’s this shot off the tee that goes hard left into the crowd that will go viral. Nobody cares about the ho-hum pars and tap-ins for bogey. It’s shots like which remind the world that Caitlin Clark is, in fact, mortal.
Caitlin Clark Shanks Ball Into Crowd During LPGA Pro-Am
Just a reminder that @CaitlinClark22 is mortal. She is an absolute delight to follow- talking with fans, making jokes and having a good time.
So happy she is out here playing the Pelican Club. pic.twitter.com/CPZxZ3WrXs
— Society of Golf Historians (@SHistorians) November 13, 2024
One more angle of that shank:
Fore! pic.twitter.com/2CUt0ij9ZO
— Brentley Romine (@BrentleyGC) November 13, 2024
I don’t want anyone to think I’m a CC hater for sharing this, that couldn’t be further from the truth, so I want to make sure we balance Clark’s shank off the tee with some of the great shots she hit throughout her round. For starters, she almost had her first hole-in-one recently… And ere she is shaping a perfect shot into the fairway a few holes later, and below this shot we see Caitlin draining a clutch putt which resulted in a fist pump:
Not to imply she doesn’t have game. Here is a wonderful cut to the middle of the fairway a couple of holes later.
She seems to be having a blast. pic.twitter.com/K9XRNSo70G
— Society of Golf Historians (@SHistorians) November 13, 2024
A fist pump worthy putt from @CaitlinClark22 👏 pic.twitter.com/tmqaMYzJi8
— LPGA (@LPGA) November 13, 2024
I played competitive golf in HS and have played tournaments throughout adulthood and I get it. When you aren’t playing golf every single day, and she absolutely is not, it’s tough to trust your swing 100% of the time. Furthermore, when there are a ton of eyes on you while you’re doing something that you aren’t particularly comfortable doing the stress is amplified.
Caitlin Clark is certainly used to performing under pressure and she thrives under those conditions. But golf is golf. It’s hard. Even the pros shank balls occasionally. Scottie Scheffler does it.