Golf isn’t Caitlin Clark’s sport, but she and her fans had a ball Wednesday

SILVIS, Ill. — “I’m actually shaking,” a girl of middle school age said Wednesday afternoon after an oh-so-brief encounter at TPC Deere Run.

“Oh my God!” the girl said as she spoke to her mother on the phone. “Caitlin Clark touched me!”

“You serious?” the mother replied excitedly.

“I’m actually blushing right now,” said the daughter.

Yes, this was serious fun for a gaggle of kids and quite a few adults on the golf course that hosts the John Deere Classic that starts Thursday. There has never been a University of Iowa athlete or perhaps any Iowan who has been a pied piper like women’s basketball National Player of the Year Clark.

Boys and girls galore wore shirts with Clark’s name and No. 22, and got photos with her between holes. The golf itself mattered little if at all. Perhaps only actor Bill Murray’s 2015 participation rivaled Clark’s for drawing fans here for a JDC pro-am, but Clark’s came to stargaze rather than get some laughs.

Clark played the front nine holes with rookie pro Ludvig Aberg and the back nine with another Iowa sports star, U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson.

At Texas Tech, Sweden’s Aberg was the Caitlin Clark of college men’s golf the last couple years. He earned a PGA Tour card through the end of 2024 because he finished first in this year’s PGA Tour University standings.

Asked if he hopes to one day have the kind of pro-am following Clark produced, Aberg said “Unless it’s Tiger Woods, you’re not going to have that many people walking with you on Wednesday.

“She’s a rock star. I was just a passenger today, but it was really cool to be part of it.”

Johnson’s name has been synonymous with the JDC for almost two decades, but he seemed more than happy to play second banana here for a change.

Waiting for Clark to join him at the 10th tee, Johnson got a good laugh from the fans as he pretended the applause was for him as Clark approached. He knew whose day this was.

“Transcendent,” Johnson called Clark a few times in a press conference after their round.

Golf is hard enough when it’s your No. 1 sport, like it is for Johnson. For an occasional player like Clark to play a TPC course before hundreds of eyes, it’s claustrophobic and intimidating.

“I was a little out of my comfort zone,” Clark said, but added that she wasn’t nervous. “I just tried to have fun with it.”

She did fine. Her tee shot at the first hole was piped down the middle. There were other very nice shots. And there were some like you expect at a pro-am, especially in July humidity late in the round when you might like to call a timeout.

“I thought I did a little better on the front nine,” said Clark. “Wasn’t as tired. Kind of got really tired on the back nine, but it was really fun.

“I appreciate all the Hawkeye fans that were out here today. A lot of people that support the Hawks, support women’s basketball, so that was super cool to see.”

On the April Sunday at the start of Masters Week, Iowa played LSU in the national-championship game in Dallas, Johnson was at Augusta National to help give awards at the Drive, Putt & Chip National Finals.

“I was also playing and hosting a guest,” he said, “but the buzz around Augusta National was the game coming up that afternoon.”

Also at Augusta that day was WNBA commissioner and United States Golf Association executive committee member Cathy Engelbert.

Johnson said Engelbert told him “(Clark) has just got to go pro next year.”

Johnson joked that he told the commish that senior-to-be Clark has three years of college eligibility left.

“Three years left, a couple of corporate deals,” Johnson said here. “Shouldn’t be a problem.”

In a serious moment, he said “I’m a fan of the state and those that excel at a high level … I’m more of a fan of the way that (Clark) and specifically the way (Iowa head coach) Lisa (Bluder) and her team, (associate head coach) Jan (Jensen), go about everything else. It’s off the court that makes it easy to be a fan.”

That team’s superstar reaches back when young fans extend their arms. Clark signed hundreds of items and posed for about as many photos here Wednesday.

How many kids went home happy? How many adults went home impressed?

Comments: (319) 398-8440; mike.hlas@thegazette.com