The only thing standing between Luke Clanton and a PGA Tour:
A made cut in this week’s WM Phoenix Open.
Clanton, the 21-year-old Florida State junior, sits at 18 points in PGA Tour University’s Accelerated program, which was created a few years ago to offer a pathway for elite college underclassmen to the big leagues separate from PGA Tour U’s seniors-only ranking. He will achieve another benchmark – and another point – on Wednesday when the World Amateur Golf Ranking is updated, and Clanton spends a 26th week at No. 1.
And with Clanton’s Accelerated clock running out (he has through this spring semester), he only has so many more avenues to a PGA Tour card, which would kick in following this May’s NCAA Championship, right when Gordon Sargent’s status starts; the Vanderbilt senior was Accelerated’s first graduate two falls ago before deciding to defer his card. One of Clanton’s pathways to 20 points is to win the Ben Hogan Award, which goes to the top college player considering all levels of play; Clanton is a considerable favorite to win that in early May. The other way Clanton gets his final point is by making a PGA Tour cut, something he’s already done eight out of 10 times since making his first pro start as an amateur at last summer’s U.S. Open and tying for 41st. Clanton has five top-15s, including a pair of runner-up finishes, at last year’s John Deere Classic and RSM Classic. Last summer, he became the first amateur since Jack Nicklaus in 1961 to notch at least three top-10s in a single PGA Tour season.
With WMPO tournament officials extending him a sponsor exemption for this week’s tournament at TPC Scottsdale, Clanton may not have to worry about the Hogan, or anything else aside from just making the weekend at the People’s Open. There will surely be more chances this spring, including at the Valspar Championship, which Clanton is in courtesy of his Valspar Collegiate win last spring, part of three straight wins that semester for Clanton.
But Clanton is eager to lock up his card as soon as possible and then divert his full energy toward what would likely be one final run at an NCAA title with his teammates. Last May, Clanton lost the deciding match in the NCAA final to Auburn’s J.M. Butler, falling on his back on the 17th green as the Tigers dogpiled Butler, leaving Florida State a national runner-up. Clanton has not been shy about that moment being seared in his mind.
He’s also not be hesitant to talk about his Accelerated race. After finishing T-2 at Sea Island last November, Clanton cracked the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking, though he cared little about that in the moment, as he reiterated during the Sony Open last month.
“At the end of the day, I’m trying to get my Tour card,” Clanton said. “That’s the No. 1 priority right now, and I want to win a national championship at FSU.”
