Copyright Essentially Sports
Are you convinced everything Caitlin Clark touches turns gold, or does she need to step onto a few more sports arenas? Well, when Caitlin Clark took to the golf course at last year’s ANNIKA Driven by Gainbridge Pro-Am, Golf Channel even reshuffled its programming to feature her rounds. She racked up 34.3 million social media impressions, proof that Clark is just as adored in golf as she is in the WNBA. The Midas touch was on full display, once again as the the golf event featured Clark for another big announcement. The big new is, Northwestern star Lauryn Nguyen, will maker her LPGA debut. Taking place from November 13–16, she will compete as a sponsor invitee at the ANNIKA at Pelican, while the full Northwestern women’s golf team will attend as guests of Annika Sorenstam. Additionally, Nguyen will participate in the Pro-Am on November 12, where she’ll be paired with Indiana Fever star. And she got the exciting news in the best way possible. Guess who surprised her with an invite through a video clip? Clark herself! Check it out below: “I’m speechless. This is so amazing that I will be able to start my professional career playing in a pro-am with Caitlin Clark in a tournament named in honor of Annika,” Nguyen said. “I’m super thankful to Gainbridge for believing in me. I’m so excited to get to meet her and make my LPGA Tour debut.” CC feels the same.“I look forward to teeing it up with her in the Wednesday Pro-Am and cheering her on during tournament week,” she said. For those who don’t know, Nguyen joined the Wildcats in 2021 and recently concluded an impressive four-year career. She earned two All-American honors, was a four-time All-Big Ten selection, a four-time Academic All-American, and claimed two collegiate victories. Nguyen also set the program record for the lowest career scoring average (72.42 across four years) and was instrumental in leading Northwestern to its first-ever national championship. Plus, she becomes the second player to receive a sponsor invitation to The ANNIKA, joining Wake Forest senior Anne-Sterre den Dunnen. Den Dunnen earned her exemption after Wake Forest claimed victory at The ANNIKA Intercollegiate in September, an achievement that granted one member of the winning team a sponsor invite. As we already said, Clark’s presence at The ANNIKA drew massive crowds that numbered in the thousands. With Nguyen joining her this year to compete for a share of the $3.25 million purse (one of the largest on the LPGA Tour), the spotlight is only set to shine even brighter. For now, before she begins her Golf season 2, we have an update on her injury. Caitlin Clark injury update Caitlin Clark recently earned a spot on the AP’s First-Team All-Time roster, joining legends like Cheryl Miller, Candace Parker, and Diana Taurasi. Over the past 50 years, the AP had an impressive pool of stars for both the First and Second Teams, yet Clark’s historic four-year career with the Hawkeyes propelled her past iconic names. After that, being selected as the No. 1 overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever, Clark quickly transformed the franchise from a lower-tier team into a genuine title contender. While her sophomore season didn’t unfold exactly as planned due to multiple injuries, fans have been eagerly awaiting updates on her recovery. Now, nearly three and a half months later, we have it, courtesy of Chloe Peterson. Clark is progressing right on schedule. Head coach Stephanie White confirmed that Clark is still aiming to return to full 5-on-5 action by the end of October. For now, Clark is gradually easing back in, starting with 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 workouts. “We’re not jumping into anything that’s too much,” White told IndyStar. “We’re taking it week by week—starting with 3-on-3, then 2-on-2, and gradually building up to 5-on-5.” It’s encouraging news, especially since Clark was an MVP candidate this season before injuries struck. With a solid foundation being rebuilt this offseason, fans can look forward to seeing her return next season stronger and ready to make another impact.
