The tears started flowing when the world's No. 1 amateur golfer secured his PGA Tour card

USA Today

03-03-2025

The tears started flowing when the world's No. 1 amateur golfer secured his PGA Tour card
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – At the end, it almost seemed ceremonial when Luke Clanton's birdie putt disappeared on the final hole.
But the fist-pump by Clanton and the tears flowing from his family behind the 18th green of the Champion course at PGA National were obvious signs this meant everything to the 21-year-old from Hialeah.
Luke Clanton, PGA Tour member.
'I can't put into words how awesome this is,' Clanton said 'The journey I've had so far on the PGA Tour … A year ago, if you told me I'd be right here getting my card, I would tell you, no way.'
Yes, way. The world's No. 1-ranked amateur and Florida State sophomore will soon have the (a) removed after his name.
With most of the focus on him the last few weeks after a sensational performance last year, Clanton fired a 5-under 66 Friday to move into 10th place after the second round of the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches. More importantly, Clanton easily made the cut – by three shots – and earned the 20th point in the PGA Tour University Accelerated program. He becomes the second player, joining Vanderbilt's Gordon Sargent, to earn membership as soon as the Seminoles' season ends in May. (He can still play on the PGA Tour with exemptions).
Clanton seems destined for a great career no matter when he earned his PGA Tour card. But there was something symbolic about him getting in at PGA National, in contention no less.
That was also obvious when the family huddled in prayer behind the green. When approached afterward, his father, David, was still in tears.
'He spent a lot of years grinding for this,' David said. 'A lot of years. Since he was 3 – I've got pictures. Everybody has a dream. But to do it this way, almost in his back yard, on the PGA Tour is hard to believe.'
Clanton's coach, Jeff Leishman of Jupiter, could only smile at Clanton's latest brilliance. Leishman knew Clanton was getting tired of the questions after he missed the cut by a shot three weeks ago at the WM Phoenix Open.
'This just gives him more opportunities to do what he loves,' Leishman said. 'There's been some steps along the way. This is just another one.'
It was also cool that Clanton did this with another Seminole, Daniel Berger, playing in the threesome. Berger is also coached by Leishman.
'He's a great player,' said Berger, who is tied for third, two shots out of the lead. 'He hits it a mile. He's got a great short game. He's real fiery. He's got a bright future. Just got to keep doing what he's doing.'
Clanton made four consecutive birdies on the front nine, including holing a chip from the greenside bunker at No. 6, to move him easily onside the cut line. But after a bogey at the 15th, he knew he needed to keep his mindset on making birdies, not pars.
'I looked at my caddy and said, I want to be in contention to win this tournament,' Clanton said. 'I kind of flipped my mindset to make the cut or I would have been close to making the cut.
'We were focused in, man, from the start of the day to the end of the day, we were locked in, and then on 18 when I saw my mom and dad, I started to break down a little bit. But overall it's just awesome.'