WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark has paired up with Nelly Korda for an LPGA pro-am the past two seasons.
Clark's presence at The Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican transformed what’s normally a sleepy pro-am day into a must-see event. The Golf Channel produced a three-hour program on Wednesday of tournament week centered around Clark’s group, which last year included Clark’s Indiana Fever teammates Sophie Cunningham and Lexie Hull as celebrity caddies.
The chemistry between the trio of Fever athletes made Clark's second appearance on the LPGA all the more entertaining. The Gainbridge ambassador has developed a strong rapport with Korda, a fellow Nike athlete.
“I think it just shows how powerful supporting one another can truly be,” said Clark last
year of teaming up with Korda for nine holes. “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 just makes the game of golf look really easy. You're almost like, how?"
This year, however, Clark won’t be participating in the LPGA’s penultimate event.
"She is not going to be playing this year," Mike Nichols, chief of sponsorship strategy and activation for Group 1001, told Golfweek.
"We have enjoyed the energy she has brought to the tournament the last two years and look forward to having her back in the future.”
This year’s event will take place Nov. 12-15 at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida. Korda, a three-time winner at Pelican, will headline the field along with LPGA Hall of Famer Lydia Ko, defending champion Linn Grant and Brooke Henderson.
In addition, Wake Forest senior Macy Pate will make her LPGA debut on a sponsor exemption. After Wake Forest won the 2026 Annika Intercollegiate presented by 3M by 10 strokes earlier this month, head coach Kim Lewellen selected Pate as the recipient for the sponsor invitation.
Pate called Sorenstam, the 10-time major winner who shot the only 59 in LPGA history, an idol. Back in high school, Pate made nationwide headlines when she shot 14-under 57 at a conference championship.
Beth Ann Nichols is a senior writer for Golfweek covering the LPGA and all things women's golf. Follow her on X/Twitter (@GolfweekNichols).
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Will Caitlin Clark pair up with Nelly Korda on the LPGA again this year?
