SILVIS, Ill. — If the last year has hammered home anything regarding Caitlin Clark’s current celebrity status, it’s that crowds will show up wherever No. 22 goes. Hoops doesn’t even have to be on the agenda.
Non-basketball appearances, inside the ballpark, on the golf course — doesn’t matter. Clark fans will flock from every corner to catch a glimpse of the Hawkeyes’ homegrown superstar doing anything ordinary or extraordinary. That proved true once again Wednesday at the John Deere Classic Pro-Am at TPC Deere Run.
With a robust gallery resembling what the leader’s group produces on championship Sunday at this well-respected PGA Tour event, Clark weaved her way through 18 holes while linking up with Iowa’s favorite golfing son, Zach Johnson, on the back nine. Throngs of black and gold lined the ropes at every hole just as they do outside the Carver-Hawkeye Arena tunnel. Many of the fans were young girls in Clark apparel yearning for even a brief moment with arguably America’s most popular female athlete. Autographs and photos were abundant.
“I had a really good time,” Clark said. “I thought I did a little better on the front nine, wasn’t as tired. I got really tired on the back nine, but it was fun. I appreciate all the Hawkeyes fans who were out there today, a lot of people who support the Hawks and women’s basketball. That was super cool to see.
“But just enjoying it. This is different for me and a little outside my comfort zone. Just tried to have fun with it. And obviously when you get to golf with the Ryder Cup captain, not many people get that opportunity.”
Caitlin Clark signs autographs for fans during the pro-am prior to the 2023 John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois. (Photo: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
While John Deere Classic week annually acts as a de facto homecoming for Johnson — the Cedar Rapids Regis and Drake graduate who has become Iowa’s most noteworthy golfing name — there was no solo spotlight on this day. Clark’s contingency was plenty strong by the time Johnson joined the party on hole 10. It only grew as one Iowa native chatted up another under the Quad Cities sun.
Is it possible Clark and Johnson played with the first hole-to-hole police escort in John Deere Classic Pro-Am history? Perhaps so. With upwards of 10 cameras planted behind the duo at any point, that part of Wednesday’s experience carried a familiar feel for the in-demand Clark — even if the setting was…
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