Caitlin Clark Officially Out of 2026 ANNIKA Pro-Am After Reported Conflict

Sources confirm Caitlin Clark will not return to the ANNIKA Pro-Am in 2026 following a reported scheduling conflict.

The Indiana Fever guard had played the Pro-Am for two straight years, drawing massive crowds to Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida.

In 2024, her first appearance, more than 1,000 spectators followed her group around the course.

Fans crowded her for autographs after the round, forcing security to step in.

Ticket sales for the Pro-Am day jumped 1,200% from the previous year.

When she returned in 2025, the scene repeated itself.

She played alongside Nelly Korda, the 2024 tournament winner, and brought Fever teammates Sophie Cunningham and Lexie Hull as her celebrity caddies.

The crossover appeal was undeniable.

Korda praised Clark’s ability to bring new fans to women’s golf.

But that appeal won’t be on display this year.

According to an Instagram post by Scott Agness, Clark will not return because of a scheduling conflict.

The event is scheduled for November 11 at Pelican Golf Club, a day before The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge tournament begins.

Tournament organizers confirmed the news.

“She is not going to be playing this year,” Mike Nichols, chief of sponsorship strategy and activation for Group 1001, told Golfweek on October 1.

“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,” Nichols added.

The door remains open for a future appearance.

Clark’s association with the event goes beyond her rounds with Korda.

In 2025, she and Gainbridge helped select former Northwestern golfer Lauryn Nguyen for a sponsor invitation to compete at The ANNIKA.

Nguyen had won the NCAA individual championship earlier that year.

Clark and the organizers also presented $5,000 to Nguyen’s Duc Foundation, adding a charitable element to her involvement.

Her interest in golf predates her WNBA career.

In July 2023, while still playing for Iowa, Clark participated in the John Deere Classic Pro-Am at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois.

She played nine holes with Swedish golfer Ludvig Åberg and another nine with fellow Iowan Zach Johnson, the two-time major champion and 2023 U.S. Ryder Cup captain.

Clark was hardly a seasoned golfer when she first showed up at the ANNIKA Pro-Am in November 2024.

She had a handicap of around 16 and admitted she was usually just hoping to break 100.

That hardly mattered once she stepped onto the course.

The turnout was no one-off.

When she returned in 2025, fans were once again eager to follow her round.

Her presence brought attention to women’s golf that extended beyond the usual LPGA audience.

Now, as the tournament prepares for its 2026 edition, the 24-year-old will be sitting this one out.

The 2026 edition is still shaping up to be a major event.

Seven of the world’s top-ranked golfers are expected to headline a 108-player field.

They will compete for a $3.25 million purse at the event named after LPGA legend Annika Sörenstam.

The tournament has also announced several sponsor exemptions.

They include Zionsville native Annabelle Pancake-Webb, University of Miami sophomore Scarlett Schremmer, and Wake Forest senior Macy Pate, who is set to become an LPGA Tour rookie in 2027.

Clark’s absence will remove one of the event’s biggest celebrity draws.

But her previous appearances have already left a significant mark on the tournament’s history.

The scheduling conflict that kept her out this year has not been detailed publicly.

It is not known whether the conflict involves her WNBA schedule, personal commitments, or other professional obligations.

Neither Clark nor her representatives have issued a statement about the decision.

The report from Scott Agness, published on Instagram, remains the primary source of the confirmation.

EssentiallySports also reported the news, citing sources who confirmed the scheduling conflict.

Yahoo Sports picked up the story, noting that Clark’s absence had been expected for some time.

The Pro-Am will be held in exactly one week, on November 11, 2026.

It will take place at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida.

The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge tournament begins the following day.

Clark first participated in the Pro-Am in 2024 following her rookie season in the WNBA.

Her appearance came through her partnership with Gainbridge, an Indianapolis-based company.

The partnership proved to be a major attraction for the tournament.

The tournament experienced a more than 1,200% increase in attendance as a direct result of her involvement.

So the Fever guard returned the following year.

She teamed up with Nelly Korda and sponsor invite Lauryn Nguyen.

But what made her 2025 appearance even more special was the company she brought along.

Fever teammates Sophie Cunningham and Lexie Hull joined Clark at the Pro-Am.