Front Row at the LPGA's Caitlin Clark Show

Over my career as a caddie on the LPGA Tour, I’ve been a part of countless pro-ams. I’ve seen celebrities, former pro athletes, and influencers of all sorts tee it up. The scene around Caitlin Clark’s second appearance at the ANNIKA pro-am on Wednesday was nothing like what I’ve witnessed in previous pro-ams. The crowd surrounding Caitlin on the 18th after her rounds with Nelly Korda and sponsor invite Lauren Nguyen will at the very least rival, if not blow away, the scene on Sunday afternoon when the final putt drops.

There was more live TV coverage dedicated to Caitlin's Wednesday pro-am group on Golf Channel than there will be Sunday for the final round of the actual event. Tournament officials had to add a designated autograph area for young fans on No. 18 this year after the mob of fans closed in on her last year. It's not very often that LPGA players stop their focused practice routines to take notice of someone else on the range, but the balls stopped flying for a brief moment on Wednesday when Caitlin stepped onto the range to get a glimpse of the WNBA star. The practice range gallery was lined with Indiana Fever jerseys and plenty of Iowa Hawkeye black and yellow. Lottie Woad and Alexa Pano both walked over for their own autographs and photos with Caitlin. Jennifer Kupcho waited patiently at the end of Caitlin's pro-am round for a photo with Caitlin and her two Fever teammates, Sophie Cunningham and Lexie Hull, who were on site as “celebrity caddies” and garnered nearly just as much attention from the fans as the main attraction.

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The LPGA had a rare opportunity to capture new fans through the appearance of a mega-star like Cailtin Clark this week. Plenty of Wednesday’s spectators had likely never been to an LPGA event before, so how does the tour take that attention and all of those social media impressions and convert them into dedicated fans? New LPGA commissioner Craig Kessler stood behind in the 18th fairway and took in the scene as Caitlin’s group finished the round. He looked amazed by the crowd. Now he just needs the tour to produce a next-level star of its own.