After her electric pro-am debut in 2024, Caitlin Clark returned to Pelican Golf Club this year, in the same spectacle, if not even more. Last year, she navigated the front nine with world No. 1 Nelly Korda and the back with Annika Sörenstam. That experience was her introduction to the LPGA world. So when she walked back into Belleair this time, it was electric. Her Indiana Fever teammates at the Pro-Am were Sophie Cunningham and Lexie Hull as her celebrity caddies. But now that the event has ended, it is her other teammates who have turned into her fans.

When Caitlin posted on Instagram, summing up her golfing endeavors, she wrote, “went golfing with my friends🩵.” But the comments section under her post appeared to be her Fever locker room. Two of her teammates, Natasha Howard and Aliyah Boston, have jumped in, openly campaigning for Clark to become their personal golf coach.

Howard wrote, “You got to teach me slime 1on1 tutor,” which is a playful badge of respect. “Slime” is a friendly, insider nickname, the kind you use for someone you’re genuinely tight with. Then, Boston followed with, “Wow you’re really cool please teach me.” Aliyah, the three-time All-Star, had to step up after Clark’s injury-ridden 2025 season. But what is more interesting is how Clark performed on the course.

Caitlin Clark’s return to The ANNIKA Pro-Am was far better. According to the event leaderboard, Clark’s group finished with a net score of 59 on the par-70 course, ending the day at 11-under. Her group also featured Nelly Korda on the opening nine and Lauryn Nguyen on the back. Her best moment came on a long putt from just off the green, with a clean, confident stroke, which rolled straight into the cup. Her group ultimately tied for 36th place. 

While this is a decent score for a non-competitive event, that score reflects a steady round for someone who hasn’t had much time with golf. This is a period of rehab for Clark after the 13 games she played in her second season, averaging 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 8.8 assists. Naturally, the event was more of a fun outing with her teammates, which ended up creating many viral moments.

The Happy Gilmore reference just keeps coming

Last season, CC had a rather chaotic moment during the Pro-am event when her shot accidentally hit a fan on the shoulder. That, however, ended positively after the fan got the ball autographed by her. This year, nobody was hit. Not by CC at least. Instead, it was Sophie Cunningham who found herself in the same position.

What made it even funnier was how it tied into a previous moment when Sophie Cunningham yelled “Happy Gilmore!” before her own wayward tee shot. Then she proceeded to accidentally hit a fan and turned the entire shot into mayhem. And if that was not enough, Clark’s boyfriend came up with more Happy Gilmore references.

Connor McCaffery jumped in with a comment that fit the day’s energy flawlessly: “Waterbury Open is next week, you should sign up.” Given how Clark and her caddies unintentionally recreated that same chaotic charm, it was a joke that kept giving.

Amid all the humor, there is also an underlying roster shift happening throughout the WNBA. As for the game on the court, the 23-year-old is looking at a 2026 comeback, and Clark and Aliyah Boston remain two of only three players guaranteed to return in 2026, alongside rookie Makayla Timpson. Meanwhile, Natasha Howard is no longer under contract with the Fever and will officially enter unrestricted free agency on Feb. 1.

Nearly the entire supporting cast on the roster is heading into negotiation season. Indiana’s front office will face a pivotal offseason. One where Clark’s circle of teammates, her friends, and now even her golf-bantering partners may look very different by the time next year’s Pro-Am rolls around.