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BELLEAIR, Fla. – Brittany Lincicome, a two-time major champion and mother of two, brought a basketball to her press conference on Tuesday. She was there to discuss her decision to step away from full-time competition but stayed afterwards so that WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark could sign the basketball for her young daughters.
“I’m just going to be honest, I’ve never watched women’s basketball,” said Lincicome, who is playing on a sponsor exemption this week at The Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican. “and then to see her at the Final Four, we were in Vegas that week and I watched every minute of it, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever.”
LPGA rookie Gabriela Ruffels expects to be starstruck Wednesday at Pelican Golf Club when Clark plays in the event’s pro-am alongside World No. 1 Nelly Korda on the front nine and tournament host Annika Sorenstam on the back. Ticket sales for the Belleair, Florida, event are 12 times the typical number.
Caitlin Clark poses for a photo with Annika Sorenstam at the Women’s Leadership Summit at Pelican Golf Club ahead of the 2024 The Annika driven by Gainbridge.
Clark, who along with Sorenstam is a Gainbridge ambassador, participated in the Women’s Leadership Summit on Tuesday afternoon before meeting with the media. The event’s moderator, Lauren Thompson, asked Clark about her overall message and brand. A profound question for a 22-year-old, given Clark’s global impact. The NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer has transformed women’s basketball.
“Coming from college and now to the professional level, I’ve just been myself,” she said. “I think that’s what resonates with people. Like what you see on the court is kind of how I am off the court. I’m the same person.”
Clark’s authenticity often leads to candid responses. Toward the end of the session, Thompson presented a series of quick questions to the panel, including former supermodel and entrepreneur Kathy Ireland, Sorenstam, and Clark.
What’s your biggest fear?
Ireland discussed being paralyzed by fear. Sorenstam mentioned waking up without a purpose.
And Clark?
“Cats,” she said. “I really don’t like cats.”
The room erupted.
Clark then shared that a mean black cat on her street during her childhood led to her fear.
As for her favorite snack, Sorenstam said “any fruit,” while Clark admitted to loving Doritos, nacho cheese flavor.
For a talent of her caliber, she remains highly relatable.
When it comes to her golf game on Wednesday, starting at 7 a.m., Clark’s goal is simply not to hit anyone in the gallery.
Brittany Lincicome brought a basketball to her own press conference hoping to get it signed by Caitlin Clark for her daughters. She later took a photo with the WNBA star. pic.twitter.com/4UgSP7UkAT
— Beth Ann Nichols (@GolfweekNichols) November 12, 2024
As a child, she received a set of pink golf clubs for one of her birthdays and eagerly convinced her dad to take her to the course. Playing various sports and enjoying the outdoors were her passions growing up.
While Clark can shoot in the mid-80s on occasion, most of the time she hopes to break 100. She mentioned her handicap is around 16.
Pebble Beach Golf Links is on her bucket list. Later this month, she plans to play a few rounds in Arizona while spending time with family over Thanksgiving.
Caitlin Clark and Annika Sorenstam at the Women’s Leadership Summit at Pelican Golf Club ahead of the 2024 The Annika driven by Gainbridge.
She has been eagerly anticipating playing in this week’s pro-am for quite some time. After her WNBA season concluded, she began teeing it up with some of her Fever teammates and received lessons from retired LPGA player Martha Foyer-Faulconer.
Clark has previous pro-am experience, having participated in the John Deere Classic pro-am in the summer of 2023.
“I’ll probably be nervous tomorrow, too,” said Clark. “I don’t know. I mean, I remind myself, like I don’t really care what happens. Doesn’t really matter. I don’t play golf for a living.
“Just have fun with it. This isn’t super serious. Enjoy the experience. There are so many people that would kill to be in my position or in my shoes.”
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