Luke Clanton won his PGA Tour card on Friday’s style.
Ben Jared/PGA Tour by Getty Images
Before last summer, Luke Clanton was a name unfamiliar to many casual PGA Tour fans.
Fast forward to this week, Clanton is one of the hottest players in golf, and he is not even a member of the PGA Tour or even a professional yet.
After opening 67-66 at the Cognitive Classic, Cranton comfortably scored his ninth layoff at the start of the 12-PGA Tour career, and scored his 20th point in the PGA Tour University acceleration program and a PGA Tour Card at the end of the college season.
“It’s amazing,” said Clanton, a junior in Florida. “It’s amazing from missing cuts to performing well and everything here. I say it again, I think this is my fourth start [of the year]it feels good to finish it now. I had a problem with about 19 points which was a little disturbing and everyone said to get your travel card, what I like was great, but the final support was definitely a bit relaxing. ”
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Cranton has been on a rocket ship to his PGA travel card since last summer. The PGA Tour U acceleration pathway was added to the original PGA Tour University program in 2022 as a way to make college class students a pathway to PGA Tour membership. Players earn points for winning major college awards and amateur events, participating in PGA Tour and professional competitions, and participating in national team competitions.
The 21-year-old won a college victory in Seminole in March 2024, his first college victory, but his first PGA Tour U accelerated until June that he won his first PGA Tour until June when he advanced at the U.S. Open in Pinehurst and completed the T41.
In July, he became the first amateur to record in 66 years on the PGA Tour, including John Deere Classic’s T2 end. He also finished the end of the 2024 PGA Tour season on RSM Classic in November. Between June and November, he amassed 17 points, the fastest points accumulation in the program’s short-term history.
When he reached his 26th week in the World Amateur Golf rankings, he finished 19th in early February, and he missed his coveted 20th point in the match he received at the WM Phoenix Open.
But at PGA National on Friday, when a qualifying session with his family, South Florida native undoubtedly had five birdies in the first nine, including four birdies in a row, and two behind, including the 18-year-old, finished the game in 18 games, earning his 10th tie in the game, where he grew up.
“It’s cool to do it here,” Clanton said. “I’ve seen this event grow up and going up at the age of 18 and seeing everyone there, which is amazing. I’m so happy to start this trip and then go back and win the national championship first with the college team and then start.”
Clanton became the second player to earn a PGA Tour membership through the PGA Tour Acceleration Program. Vanderbilt’s Gordon Sargent received his PGA Tour card in October 2023, but chose to delay his membership until the end of this year’s senior season. Clanton and Sargent became members of the PGA Tour after the NCAA D1 Championship part of the May Stroke Tournament. Both are in shape in the 2026 season.
Just like Sargent, Clanton has the option to postpone its membership until the end of the 2026 college season and return to Florida State.
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