Whether it’s the WNBA or golf, the Caitlin Clark effect never fails to create buzz. So everyone took notice when the multiple-time ESPY winner accepted Annika Sorenstam’s invitation to join The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican. However, the 22-year-old’s golfing adventure got off to a rough start, and a viral moment even left Olympic gold medalist Tara Davis-Woodhall in splits.

The high-jump gold medalist shared a clip of Clark taking a swing during the Pro-AM event. However, instead of starting with a clean shot, Clark’s first hit on Wednesday veered to the left, landing into the crowd standing on the left. “Caitlin Clark shanked this ball into the crowd,” wrote Just Women’s Sports, who uploaded the clip.

The moment seemed almost prophetic as the former Iowa Hawkeye said the last she wanted was to hit a fan while speaking at Tuesday’s Women’s Leadership Summit. The clip showed Caitlin Clark line up the shot and take a confident swing. However, the ball barely gained any height before whizzing past the crowd, making everyone flinch.

“Screaming,” wrote Tara Davis-Woodhall while sharing the post on her Instagram story alongside two laughing emoticons. The fans present on the golf course also shared a similar reaction. The clip showed the crowd burst into laughter after the botched hit. However, the Indiana Fever star composed herself and took her time to line up the second shot, which earned the crowd’s applause.

While the first shot hit a fan, the WNBA Rookie of the Year graciously apologized. “Thanks for the good kick, whoever I hit,” said Clark, and even auto-graphed the call for the fan, according to an X post by Golfweek senior writer Beth Ann Nichols. While the shot may have seemed like a rookie mistake, this isn’t the first time Caitlin Clark grabbed a gold club.

While Tara Davis-Woodhall may not have any golfing experience, the WNBA star is no greenhorn. She appeared at the 2023 John Deere Classic and even expressed excitement after accepting Sorenstam’s invitation. “Well, first of all, I love golf and being around it. I think it’s so cool and special, and I grew up playing golf… This is an honor,” the Wade Trophy winner said on Tuesday. However, the drama surrounding the shot didn’t die down so easily.

Like Tara Davis-Woodhall, Caitlin Clark faced both praise and criticism at the Pelican Golf Club.

The Indiana Fever star’s rouge swing inspired various reactions from the golfing community and beyond. Many shared Tara Davis-Woodhall’s reaction of shock and amusement, while others sympathized with her for making an honest mistake. However, some didn’t find her swing or the fact that she complained about it later to be impressive.

Iowa alumni Andy Froemel wrote about it on X. “I am so mad I wasn’t recording. Caitlin complained about the 180 par 3 being too long, she had a 3 Wood or Hybrid. I said I’d be hitting Driver. She said I should have hit Driver,” posted Froemel. Yet, despite the blunder, the women’s sports icon earned praise from none other than #1 ranked Nelly Korda.

Clark shared the course with Korda and Sorenstam on Wednesday, and Korda felt impressed with the athlete’s skills. “I asked her how many times a week she plays. With the amount of obligations she has, she probably gets to the golf course once a week and to play just once a week, she was playing really well,” Korda said during a post-event interview.

In fact, Nelly Korda’s event pointed out where the WNBA star could improve. “She was losing a couple shots to the right,” the top-ranked golfer pointed out. Yet, how did you react to Caitlin Clark’s initial blunder? Did you share Tara Davis-Woodhall’s reaction? Let us know in the comments.