Top LPGA Golfer Nelly Korda Gave Personal Account of Caitlin Clark's Influence
On Wednesday, Indiana Fever sensation Caitlin Clark played 18 holes at the LPGA Golfing pro-am competition called the "Annika", which was hosted by Annika Sorenstam.
Clark had mixed results on the course while playing in front of countless fans (which prompted funny reactions from her Fever teammates), and it was interesting for her massive fanbase to see that she's a mere mortal in a sport — which doesn't always seem to be the case with basketball.
Then again, it would be unfair to compare her to Nelly Korda, who is the No. 1-ranked female golfer in the world right now and who Clark played the first nine holes of the pro-am alongside.
There was a ton of mutual respect between Clark and Korda. And after their time playing together ended, Korda offered some extremely high praise for the 22-year-old.
"It probably needs work. It's probably not that good," Korda said about her jump shot when speaking with the media, per Golf.com. "Maybe I'll ask Caitlin for some advice, Some tips. Next time we get together, maybe it will be on a basketball court.
When asked what she hopes comes from today in terms of Clark's relationship with the LPGA, Korda said, "At the end of the day, it's just great for women's sports. I love that she has a love for the game of golf.
"And me, I've never really tuned in to watching basketball before her, honestly," Korda continued. "So I think it's just growing the interest in all of women's sports, and I hope that's what grows from this relationship."
Nelly Korda needs some jump shot pointers. 🏀 pic.twitter.com/ivrreqwS6S
— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) November 13, 2024
It's cool to hear Korda discuss how Clark got her interested in women's basketball, just like she has for so many others.
Perhaps we'll now see Korda sitting courtside during one of the Indiana Fever's WNBA games next season.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.