Nelly Korda and Caitlin Clark drew huge crowds when they paired up at the ANNIKA pro-am, held at Pelican Golf Club in Florida.
Clark, known for her love of golf, took the chance to play ahead of the ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge event at Pelican.
She was grouped with Lauryn Nguyen, who joined the event on a sponsor’s exemption.
Korda and Nguyen will now turn their attention to the main tournament. Korda will be looking to repeat last year’s success when she picked up her third win at this event.
Nelly Korda’s nine holes with Caitlin Clark shows the value of women’s sports
Clark shared her thoughts on Korda, who was once ranked number one in the world, and discussed what their nine holes together represented for women’s sports.
She said: “I think it just shows how powerful supporting one another can truly be. I’ve always been a big advocate of that and supporting women’s sports. Always been a big fan, whether it’s golf or soccer or volleyball, whatever it is.
“So it’s really fun to see her do her craft up close and how good she is and getting to play with her last year; and I played a few other rounds with her.
She makes the game look so easy you can’t help but wonder how she does it. She really is amazing, and I hope she goes on to win this.”
Nelly Korda gives her view on Caitlin Clark after their ANNIKA pro-am round
Korda returned the compliment, clearly enjoying Clark’s presence and the buzz she brought to the event.
The two-time major champion was just back from a month-long injury break, returning to action at Pelican.
Reflecting on the scene, Korda said: “It’s crazy. That first tee was something out of a book almost.
“But it’s so fun. It’s cool to see how many people she brings together to another sport, and it’s fun to hang out with her. She’s super cool.
“We saw each other last week at an outing, and, yeah, I mean, it’s nice to be alongside greats; even her teammates are super fun. It’s been a blast so far.”
Korda also spoke about what she admires in Clark: “I think she enjoys everything that she does. You know, there are only so many things that you can juggle.
“There are so many things we have to do, and for her to be so laid back and relaxed and have fun and chitchat with everyone is cool to see.”
Nelly Korda gives her take on Kai Trump’s LPGA Tour sponsor exemption
Interest around the tournament has also picked up with the news that Kai Trump was given a sponsor exemption in Florida.
She’s played rounds with her grandfather, Donald Trump, but this will be her first step onto the LPGA Tour.
Korda shared her thoughts on the invitation: “Yeah, I mean, I think it’s a great learning opportunity for her if she is serious about the game of golf.”
“There is no better way to test your game than to play alongside the best players in the world. It will be a nice and fun experience for her I’m sure.”
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It’ll be worth keeping an eye on how she does. The LPGA Tour seems to have made a solid choice by bringing her in.
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