Caitlin Clark brings waves of black and gold to the John Deere Classic

But it couldn't have been unexpected with University of Iowa women's basketball star Caitlin Clark on this year's amateur lineup.

"It was really fun. I had a really good time," Clark said of her JDC debut. "I thought I did better on the front nine … kind of got really tired on the back nine, but it was really fun. I appreciate all the Hawkeye fans that were out there today — a lot of people that support the Hawks, support women's basketball  — so that was super cool to see." 

For the front nine at TPC Deere Run, she was joined by Swedish pro Ludvig Aberg. PGA Tour pro Zach Johnson — another Iowa native — joined the group for the back nine. 

While Johnson calls himself a fan of Clark as an athlete, he's more impressed by how she, her teammates and coaches managed "everything else." 

"It's off the court that makes it easy to be a fan," he said. "Specifically, this young lady on my right (Clark) is transcendent, given her talent, but I can't speak highly enough about how she handles herself, whether it's in interviews or just the way she goes about her work." 

While she may have appeared nervous before her first stroke, Clark crushed it, splitting the fairway with her tee shot.

"First tee shot went pretty well. It went straight. It was probably one of my better hits of the day," she said. "I wasn't too nervous — kind of just, 'don't waste time, just go up there and just hit it.' I think it's kind of the same with basketball; you have to kind of settle into the game a little bit." 

Like in basketball, Clark said, she blocked out the crowd of JDC spectators that at times pushed upwards of 1,000 fans. 

"It was really just like you're out here playing with nobody watching," she said. "You kind of get in the zone of doing what you do, and the nerves kind of fade away." 

Clark said she hasn't had many chances to play on a different sports stage like a PGA Tour event. 

"I think it's really different, and that's what makes it so unique and special … and to do it essentially 45 minutes away from where I get to play basketball in our state is pretty cool. That's one of the reasons I'm here," she said. "I'm a big fan of golf. I love to play it and be around it. Every Sunday I usually have the TV on and am watching." 

She also added she's a "big fan" of Johnson. 

While she made sure to stay hydrated and wore sunscreen along the course, Clark also made time to connect with fans, signing autographs between holes. 

Twelve-year-old Addie Mangan, of Iowa City, was among the signature-seeking fans. 

"It was cool," she said, grinning. 

Mangan's family specifically came to watch Clark, she said, and was planning to stay for the weather-delayed Youth Clinic later in the afternoon. 

While she may have landed a couple of shots in the rough, Clark and her team appeared to be enjoying themselves.

Iowa assistant women's basketball coach Jan Jensen joined alongside fans to cheer on Clark.

"We're incredibly proud to support her in her endeavors," Jensen said. "She's just such a remarkable role model." 

Jensen also enjoyed seeing how Clark translated her mental focus and athleticism from basketball to golf, which she views as a mental sport.

On that front, Clark, who scored just about every national honor she could in leading the Hawkeyes to a national finish, said recognizing that "things are gonna go wrong" is a vital mental approach for all sports.

More importantly, it's about how you respond to it. 

"The mental side of basketball, or golf, is way more important than the physical skill, or hitting a shot or hitting the ball. It's so much more mental," she said. "I'm only 21, so being able to learn that has been hard, but it is really, really true. You have one bad thing, you have to recover — whether it's a turnover, whether it's a missed putt, whether it's a missed chip."

She followed the philosophy last season, she said, and plans to continue to do so for the rest of her career. 

Johnson and Clark displayed an easy going relationship during their post-round press conference, and the latter said she learned a bit from her Ryder Cup captain counterpart.

"We worked on my chipping a little bit, leaning more on my front foot, more weight on my front foot," she said. 

When asked how it felt to be the second-most popular Iowan on the course, Johnson said he "wouldn't have it any other way." 

"What happened this year in the NCAA women's tournament as an Iowan, but also as a fan of sport, was just spectacular," he said. "I think it just speaks volumes to where the sport (women's basketball) is going; certainly what she's doing and some of her peers are doing."

Clark and Johnson's pro-am teammates — Henry Thier, Patt McDowell and Scott Finnemann — were all John Deere dealers, playing in a group organized by the title sponsor, with Thier being a unique exception filling in for his father.