ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — Caitlin Clark has never been shy about taking the next shot, even if she’s already missed a few. The 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year is known for getting hot and staying so on the basketball court, and something similar could be said for her appearance at Wednesday’s RSM Classic pro-am at Sea Island Golf Club.
Clark, who was paired with PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and 2023 Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson, pulled her opening drive left into the water. It took her all of 10 seconds to re-tee and drop another shot near the green on a short par 4. And while she struggled a little to get rolling, once the Iowan got loose she was consistently long off the tee, to the point where Johnson and Monahan marveled at her talent.
On one three-hole stretch, she bombed huge drives that, from her forward tees, put her in front of most of the group she was playing with.
Johnson, who has a dozen PGA Tour victories under his belt, played with Clark at the 2023 John Deere Classic and has noticed an improvement in the former University of Iowa star’s golf game.
“She’s a competitor before she is anything else. I witnessed it a year-and-a-half ago when we played but I’ve also witnessed that she’s gotten better. She’s working on her game,” Johnson said. “It’s a hard game, and it’s not her number one priority, obviously, nor should it be. But she’s amazing. She’s amazing on the court and off.”
While Johnson came away again impressed with her golf swing, he was even more inspired by the way the 22-year-old conducts herself. As she has at previous stops, like last week’s LPGA event where she played with Nelly Korda and host Annika Sorenstam, Clark took time to sign autographs and snap pics with nearly every fan who asked, including Johnson’s daughter Abby Jane.
“She has raised the bar. She’s pushed the ceiling. She’s done so much for sports, specifically women’s basketball, that I think we’re just starting to see the tip of it right now. I think there’s more to come,” Johnson said. “Your talent is given but she’ll continue to improve because she works hard.
“You’re seeing a woman, an athlete, who does everything right off the court. And so she’s a role model, an icon, and that is a rare breed.”
PGA Tour commissioner says Clark is ‘awesome to watch’
Monahan had never met Clark until Wednesday, but he was dazzled by her golf swing, especially when she made contact with the driver. On the par-5 14th hole, Clark hit a tee shot 270 yards down the left side of the fairway, leaving a hybrid in from 170 yards. She then hit what Monahan described as “the perfect buttercut” that rolled onto the back of the green. Although she three-putted, she still had the gallery in awe.
“It is incredible. It was awesome to watch,” Monahan said. “What really struck me was her love of the game. Clearly, her competitive spirit and fire come through. And her ability comes through loud and clear on some of those tee shots. You know, she’s been playing seriously for a year and a half. I’ve never seen someone in a year and a half strike the ball like that. And she’s gonna be playing this game for a long time.
“She’s transcendent. And it’s very clear. Her humility is her superpower and, yeah, it’s pretty cool to see her interact with all these young boys and girls and she’s done a lot for this game, in a short period of time.”
As for Clark, she said after playing pro-ams on both the men’s and women’s tours that she enjoyed both experiences.
“They’re both unique, but they’re all fun. I kind of know Zach a little bit better, but it’s always fun to meet new people and get to see them up close,” she said. “It makes it personal. I mean you support these people on TV and you come and watch them up close and see how good they are at their game. It’s special.”
And as for her own game?
“I just like having fun. Obviously, there were too many people here today. I hit some nice shots today, though,” Clark said. “It’s nice, I get to tee it up a little further so it helps me out.”
“It’s great to have her here,” Jay Monahan said on the 13th green.
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — Last week it was the LPGA pro-am. This week, WNBA superstar and golf nerd Caitlin Clark was the headliner at the PGA Tour’s pro-am ahead of the RSM Classic.
The 2024 season finale at Sea Island Golf Club’s Seaside and Plantation courses starts Thursday but Wednesday morning, Clark, dressed in all black, participated in the fun.
Clark was in Zach Johnson’s group on the Plantation Course. PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan was in the fivesome as well.
The RSM Classic pro-am also featured Tom Brady, playing in a group with defending champions Ludvig Aberg.
Monahan said it was his first time Clark, and he expects only bigger things in the future.
“It’s great to have her here,” Monahan said on the 13th green. “Think about it, she’s playing like for a year and a half. What did she hit that last drive, 260?”
Clark pulled her first drive of the day left into the water, but she got rolling soon after that, hitting some booming drives.
The 2024 BMW PGA Championship — one of the biggest events on the DP World Tour schedule — gets underway Thursday at the Wentworth Club in Surrey, England. On Wednesday, however, celebrities like Tom Holland and Gareth Bale participated in the event’s star-studded pro-am.
While players like Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Adam Scott, Billy Horschel, Shane Lowry, Matt Fitzpatrick and Robert MacIntyre were preparing for the tournament, they were joined by Holland, Bale, Andy Murray and loads of other stars for a fun day around Wentworth.
Check out nearly two dozen of the best photos from the BMW PGA Championship pro-am below. Plus, you can find the event’s first-round tee times here.
The Tournament of Champions celebrity pro-am could use another female participant.
Caitlin Clark has joined sports icons Billie Jean King and Annika Sorenstam as a Gainbridge brand ambassador, the financial services company announced. The partnership means Clark-mania might be soon coming to the LPGA.
The Iowa basketball player, the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer who is revolutionizing the women’s game, is slated to compete in the pro-am at The Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican later this season, schedule permitting.
The Annika, the penultimate event on the LPGA’s schedule, is slated for Nov. 14-17 this season at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida. World No. 1 Lilia Vu won last year’s edition for her fourth title of the season.
The Gainbridge announcement comes in concert with the company’s launch of its new product, ParityFlex, a multi-year guaranteed annuity product created for women, by women.
“I am honored to be part of the company’s deepening commitment to advancing opportunities for women, on and off the court, and to help promote this visionary new product for women,’’ said Clark in a release.
Clark recently announced that she’ll forgo her final season in Iowa to enter the WNBA draft. The Indiana Fever has the first pick, and tickets to watch the franchise next season have already doubled in price, according to VividSeats.
The lowest ticket price available to watch Clark play Ohio State on Sunday was $491, a record for women’s basketball.
Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark. (Photo: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports)
“It’s an honor to have Caitlin join us on Team Gainbridge,” said King in a release. “She is an amazing talent on the court, but more importantly, she puts her team ahead of herself and is a leader, an agent of change and a champion on and off the court. Thanks to Gainbridge for once again stepping up and showing their commitment to being a leader in women’s sports.”
On March 10, Clark’s signature will be included on the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda driven by Colton Herta on Indycar and the No. 77 Group 1001 Camaro driven by Corey Lajoie on Nascar.
Caitlin Clar and Ludvig Aberg walk to the fifth hole during the pro-am ahead of the 2023 John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run. (Photo: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Last summer, Clark created a frenzy at the John Deere Classic Pro-Am when she played alongside Zach Johnson and Ludvig Aberg.
“Honestly, I played (golf) when I was a little kid,” said Clark during a John Deere press conference. “Started golfing with my dad, but then I didn’t play much all throughout high school. Then kind of started again in college. I obviously am pretty busy, so I don’t get to golf as much as I would like.”
Clark enjoys teeing it up with her Iowa teammates and, not surprisingly, they like to keep it competitive, usually playing a quick nine or 12 holes. She also attended the 2017 Solheim Cup, won by Team USA, at Des Moines Golf and Country Club.
Perhaps the Gainbridge pro-am will serve as a warm-up to a bigger commitment. The Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions celebrity pro-am could use another female participant.
The pro-am competition will take place the first two days.
One of the best weeks of golf is here, even if it has been reduced a bit.
The 2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am is set to kick off Thursday as the first full-field signature event of the PGA Tour’s season. Unlike in year’s past, there are only 80 players in the field, but playing with them the first two rounds will be celebrities from all realms.
Bill Murray. Josh Allen. Aaron Rodgers. Buster Posey. And dozens of others will tee it up at Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill the first two rounds before the competition switches to pros only at Pebble Beach over the weekend.
Here’s a look at the best photos of celebrities at the 2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
I made birdie at 18, my pro was Sepp Straka and my team didn’t win.
KAPALUA, Hawaii – I made birdie at 18, my pro was Sepp Straka and my team didn’t win.
Now that I’ve gotten the answers to the three most common questions I’ve had from friends on hearing I played in the pro-am of the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions allow me to tell you what it was like playing in what just might be the best pro-am on the PGA Tour – especially now that the American Express and AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am have been watered down to fewer days and no longer have their celebrity appeal.
Call it my first hot take of 2024 but the Sentry Pro-Am starts with some pretty electric ingredients – a star-studded field of winners and anyone who qualified for top 50 on the FedEx Cup point standings in the preceding year coupled with the other star of the show – Kapalua’s Plantation Course – in one of the most beautiful settings for golf and you have the makings of a delicious recipe.
Before we go any further, let’s just take a moment to reflect on how insane it is to think that regular golfers can fork up some coin – some serious coin that I hear starts around $10K and is dependent on the hospitality package you pick – but in doing so be allowed to play the same course that a field of 59 of the most successful golfers in the world from the previous season are going to play the next four days for $20 million and you’re going to play alongside one of them (actually two as of this year — more on that later). What other sport can you do that? [Editor’s note: Golfweek was a special invite by Troon Golf, which manages the courses at Kapalua, and Golfweek made an exception to its policy as it was the only opportunity to play the Plantation Course during our visit for a separate travel story that was part of the assignment. We made a charitable contribution to a local non-profit, Spare for Change, which recycles donated golf clubs and distributes them to new players.]
On Tuesday, beginning as early as 8 a.m., participants began showing up at the Kapalua Golf Academy to pick up their tee prize. Every pro-am gives out some swag but this was next level. Last year, your gift bag began with a portable speaker and a TaylorMade driver head cover. From there, it was a veritable choose-your-own-adventure. In one room, you decide whether to get fit for a TaylorMade Stealth2 driver or custom-made jeans from Delta. Then you explored the rest of the Academy where you chose two of the following from Hawaiian favorites – Tommy Bahama apparel, Maui Jim sunglasses, Olukai shoes and sandals and this year Aloha Collection Bags – or you could go on a whale watching expedition or snorkeling trip – and if you were a conservationist or just had a big heart you could plant a Koa tree in the Pu’u Kukui Preserve. In short, really nice mix of swag between golf stuff and stuff that screams Hawaii. The food truck parked outside was a nice touch. During the day, participants get to play in the Am-Am at Plantation’s Bay Course, an Arnold Palmer design which is every bit as scenic and possibly more fun to play. I had to skip this round to do my day job but everyone I talked to said it was the perfect warm-up for the main event.
Mark Rolfing served as emcee of the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions pro-am draft party at Kapalua’s Golf Academy. (Adam Schupak/Golfweek)
That evening, pro-am participants met at Taverna Restaurant and the Academy’s putting green out back with NBC/Golf Channel’s Mark Rolfing serving as the emcee of the Draw Party. I met my team for the putt-off. This is what sets the Sentry pro-am experience apart. Thirty-two teams of three players were broken into pods of four and you had a putting contest to determine the drafting order to select one of four pros. Each player got to hit one putt from about 40 feet and the closest putt from your team determined your pick. My pod of four pros consisted of: Jon Rahm, Max Homa, Mackenzie Hughes and Sepp Straka. Not too shabby. My team got to putt last but it didn’t give us an advantage because you didn’t know how good or bad the other teams had done, couldn’t take a practice putt and you had to face the other way while your opponents took their turn, so, no help with the break or speed. We could tell by the audible reactions that someone nearly holed it. When my first partner hit his putt barely halfway, I knew we were in trouble. My second partner hammered it and still was 8 feet short. It was all up to me and I did get it to the hole but yanked it 4 feet left. I figured, OK, we’re not getting Rahm but maybe Homa. Nope, we were dead last and ended up with Straka, the burly Austrian with the Georgia accent, who would go on to have a pretty sweet year that included a pick to Europe’s winning Ryder Cup team. As I told him the next day, we were picking him first had we made the putt.
You can’t do this putting contest format with a pro-am at a full-field event – it would take too long – but it’s perfect for this limited-field event and is predicated on golf skill not just luck – most draw parties tend to have a lottery process and often the marquee names are reserved for the bigger sponsors. The food at the party after the putt-off was prepared by two-time Maui Chef of the Year Taylor Ponte and was outrageously good and the bar was open but I assume that is standard fare based on attending a few of these shindigs along the way. ESPN’s Chris Berman joined me for a glass of wine while I enjoyed some tuna poke and having grown up on his nicknames, 2-minute drill of highlights and calls such as “Back, Back, Back, Gone!” that was a rare treat. He’s a regular and The Kid, Ken Griffey Jr., also held court adding just enough celebrity buzz to the occasion.
Night putting at the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions draft party. Baseball legend Ken Griffey Jr. lines up his putt at the draft party. (Adam Schupak/Golfweek)
That night, I kept waking with anticipation to play in my first PGA Tour pro-am. That morning, I had a story to file so I wasn’t able to soak in the all-access pass at the range and the feast of food at the VIP tent but more than one tour pro who has had a beef with one of my articles along the way took great pleasure in critiquing my putting and short game on the practice green. I guess I had that coming to me, but for regular Joes I have to imagine it’s an unforgettable experience to rub shoulders with the pros.
Sentry tournament director Max Novena tells me they added a few new wrinkles to make the event even better this year. Most notably, with a larger field they instituted the nine-and-nine format popular at many other Tour pro-ams, where participants get to play with not one but two pros, who tag in and tag out at the turn. Pros and cons: if you don’t like your pro because he’s not helpful reading putts and disengaged, you may luck out with a more affable, charismatic pro who gets that you’ve ponied up big time for a special occasion. But you also don’t get as much quality time to create a lasting relationship, which can happen over 18 holes. I learned more about Straka, who had his twin brother caddying for him that week, during the wait on the tee than I ever have in one of his few press conferences in the media center. I had one beef with my pro-am experience – we basically played the red tees to avoid a six-hour round. That said, it was fun to hit the famous downhill 18th, measuring 677 yards for the pros, in two with a gap wedge. I usually leave out that we played the hole from 200 yards up when recounting this story.
When the round ended, we convened at a VIP tent and enjoyed a celebratory beverage or two. Not even two squalls during our round, the only liquid sunshine I experienced on my entire trip, could dampen my mood, and the rainbow over Kapalua made it worth it. Playing the course before the tournament only increased my appreciation for Jon Rahm’s closing 63 to erase a six-stroke deficit and win the Sentry on Sunday.
This year’s pro-am experience wrapped up with an awards party at Merriman’s Kapalua, which was my favorite meal of 2023. The setting on the point of Kapalua Bay looks like a movie set or a Zoom call backdrop – it has to be fake. But no, it’s so majestic that while my wife was snapping a family selfie, a guy to our right dropped to one knee and proposed to his girl. (She said yes!)
And if you ever get a chance to play in the Sentry Pro-Am you better do the same.
Check out the scenes from the 2023 PNC Championship Pro-Am.
ORLANDO — When Tiger and Charlie Woods arrived on property at Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, the cameras met them in the parking lot and fans were already lining the fence waiting for one of the rare sightings this year of the 15-time major winner and son, who recently helped his high school win the FHSAA Class A State Championship.
For Tiger, this is groundhog day. Another day of all eyes trained on his every shot, smile or grimace and limp. For Charlie, 14, it’s his fourth straight appearance in this event with his dear, old dad, and he has been around enough big events to know what to expect. He has shown great composure playing in front of crowds that are more interested in seeing what type of game young Charlie has compared to the Hall of Famers in the field.
“Welcome to the new Tour,” Tiger said, “where everyone has a camera phone.”
Here are four more scenes from Friday’s practice round at the PNC Championship.
Clark has been invited to play in the John Deere Classic Pro-Am on July 5 from TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois.
Though she had quite the gravitational pull already, Caitlin Clark’s play during the Iowa Hawkeyes‘ run to the women’s college basketball national championship game against LSU only amplified her stardom.
Fans can’t get enough of The Caitlin Clark Show. That’s evidenced by her spiking number of social media followers and her soaring NIL valuations after Iowa’s trip to the Final Four.
Caitlin Clark had a number of sports stars raving during Iowa’s march to the title game as she became the first women’s player to register back-to-back 40-point performances in NCAA Tournament history. LeBron James, Dick Vitale, Stephen A. Smith and Isaiah Thomas all took notice, just to name a few.
Frankly, how could any sports fan not get caught up in Clark mania? She was sensational all season long with averages of 27.8 points, 8.6 assists, and 7.1 rebounds on 47.3% shooting and 38.9% 3-point shooting.
Clark’s assists per game led the nation and her points per game trailed only Villanova’s Maddy Siegrist. The 6-foot guard knocked down 3.68 3-pointers per game to lead the country in that category, too. Her five triple-doubles last season were also tops nationally.
In short, the West Des Moines product was flat-out incredible once again this past season. In fact, she swept the national player of the year awards.
Now, thanks to her rising fame, Caitlin Clark has been invited to play in the John Deere Classic Pro-Am on Wednesday, July 5 from TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois. She will play alongside two-time major winner and fellow Iowa native Zach Johnson as well as three other amateurs.
“We are thrilled to be able to bring our fans the opportunity to see Caitlin Clark and Zach Johnson, two Iowa sports heroes, play in the John Deere Classic Pro-Am at TPC Deere Run. Zach has been the face of the tournament for many years and Caitlin’s presence will bring a jolt of electricity to the grounds and help us introduce youngsters and non-golf fans to this great game,” tournament director Andrew Lehman said.
Johnson, 47, is also a 12-time PGA Tour winner and is currently the U.S. Ryder Cup captain, which will be played in Rome in September.
Tickets for the tournament, including the Wednesday Pro-Am, may be purchased at www.johndeereclassic.com. Fans that are 15 and under are free with a paid adult.
Paying homage to the legacy of Arnold Palmer, every detail is perfected and is an experience that goes beyond the players and fans. Mastercard strives to create tradition and memories that last.
I had the privilege of playing in the pro-am on Wednesday with PGA Tour player Tyrrell Hatton and Chicago Bears quarterback Trever Siemian.
Hatton won the API in 2020 and Bay Hill Club and Lodge is a special place to him. It’s no secret that the course plays tough, but Hatton had a level of confidence to him that only a winner could find within.
The rough was four inches the day of the practice round and Bay Hill’s team did not cut it through the weekend. I didn’t feel nervous as I played my round, but all of my golf knowledge felt as if it flew out the window. It had been years since I’ve played in rough that thick. It’s weird how when you approach a harder or more prestigious course how your subconscious seeps in and a trusty 9-iron becomes the game of the unknown.
Everyone talks about Hatton and Siemian as amazing athletes but who they are as people was truly admirable. Hatton explained how lovely it is to have his wife travel with him to almost every tournament. Siemian told me the blessings of being a father to three children. Both of the players talked about their families with such a great sense of pride and value.
The golf was spectacular and it was an honor to play a course polished and set up for a PGA Tour event. The rough, narrow fairways, challenging pins, firm greens and added wind set the stage for a fight.
During the tournament, Mastercard had many activations set up for fans to enjoy. These tents were set up for cardholders and designed to allow them to tap into their five senses. They had drinks, aromas, video games, food, simulators, virtual reality, banking and more for fans to enjoy.
Mastercard and Capital One teamed up to create a Small Business Marketplace. The companies took care of fees, expenses and buildout to give a bakery and café a chance to make profit and gain exposure near the 18th green.
Mastercard is a supporter of the Orlando Winnie Palmer Hospital and make numerous contributions throughout the year and tournament week. One example of this is when they donated $10,000 to the Hospital in the winning group of Wednesday’s pro-am name.
Mastercard has extended their partnership with the API on a multi-year deal. They have been with the tournament for 19 years and plan to keep growing the experience and partnership.
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Jordan Spieth missed a win by two strokes last year. Is the Pebble Beach Pro-Am his to lose in 2023?
The PGA Tour’s West Coast swing is fully underway. Before the chaotic madness of the WM Phoenix Open kicks into gear next week, the Pebble Beach Pro-Am will offer plenty of intrigue and drama—if not a few lighter moments from the amateur pool—as the first tournament in February.
Fresh off his win at the Farmers Insurance Open, Max Homa won’t be at Pebble Beach, but plenty of Tour stalwarts like Jordan Spieth, Viktor Hovland and Matthew Fitzpatrick highlight an eclectic field.
Spieth will look to avenge his second-place finish from last year after finishing two strokes behind Tom Hoge.
While Hoge (+2000) is back in the field this year, the tournament hasn’t seen a repeat winner since Dustin Johnson went back-to-back in 2009-2010.
So who’s claiming the title this year and which bets should you place?
