There is a lot on the line for Luke Clanton this week at the Waste Management Open
04 Feb 2025
by Sean Melia of AmateurGolf.com
see also: Luke Clanton Rankings
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Luke Clanton could leave Arizona with a PGA Tour card (Florida State Athletics Photo)
Florida State junior
Luke Clanton is on the cusp of earning his PGA Tour this week at the Waste Management in Scottsdale, Arizona. He'll tee off at 9:53 on Thursday with Nick Dunlap and Justin Thomas.
Over the last two and a half years, Clanton has collected 18 points in the PGA Tour U Accelerated program for his performances in amateur and professional events.
Clanton is currently ranked No. 1 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rankings.
On Wednesday, Clanton will earn his 19th point before he even tees it up in Arizona because he has been the top-ranked amateur in the WAGR for 26 weeks. That one point means if Clanton makes the cut at Waste Management, the 20th point will push him over the top.
It would make him the second player to earn his PGA Tour card through the accelerated route; Gorgon Sargent, who is finishing his senior year at Vanderbilt, earned his card in October 2023 as a Junior. Auburn sophomore Jackson Koivun also has 18 points and seems poised to earn his PGA Tour card, too.
Over the last nine months, Clanton has played superb golf. He recorded four top-ten finishes in ten PGA Tour events, including runner-ups in the John Deere and the RSM Classic. He also made the cut in the U.S. Open at Pinehurst in 2024. He has missed as many cuts (2) as he has had runner-up finishes.
Of course, there is the possibility that Clanton misses the cut and remains at 19 points. It seems he will have multiple chances at earning that final point either through another PGA Tour event or if he plays well for Florida State and earns a top ten in the NCAA Championship or wins the Haskins, Nicklaus, or Hogan Award.
There is a bit of time pressure on Clanton; if he doesn't secure the 20th point before the end of the NCAA season in May, he will be tossed into the PGA Tour U program for his senior year, and those points he's earned will transfer into that new race for a PGA Tour card.