US golden boy Luke Clanton can take Ludvig Aberg charge to Ryder Cup big stage
Lightning Luke Clanton is walking exactly the same path as Ludvig Aberg.
Now the hotly-discussed topic is whether or not the new golden boy of golf in the United States can emulate the Swede and make a remarkable charge straight to The Ryder Cup.
Clanton has teed it up as a professional for the first time at the RBC Canadian Open having earned his card by accruing 20 PGA Tour University Accelerated points between last year's US Open and this year's Cognizant Classic.
The 21-year-old had incredible success on the PGA Tour as a college golfer and notched four Top 10 finishes in 2024 which made him the the first amateur since Jack Nicklaus in 1961 with three or more in a year.
Clanton is now on the big stage as a fully-fledged pro and already there is talk of forging his way into Keegan Bradley's side for the clash against Europe in September.
If that seems unlikely, the template is there with Aberg. The Scandinavian's brilliant college career saw him rocket into the professional ranks and take his first steps exactly two years ago at the Canadian Open, just like Clanton now.
And Aberg was in Rome just three months later to assist Europe to success in Rome after captain Luke Donald took a calculated gamble on his brilliance.
Clanton now has a pathway to do the same with doors open for spots at this stage in Bradley's side for the New York blockbuster and, ironically, Clanton and Aberg are paired together with Rory McIlroy for the opening two days in Caldeon.
The kid is taking it one step at a time and said: 'The expectations are always going to be pretty high for sure.
"But I think I have a great team behind me with the process that we have. It's the first start as a pro, so it's a little bit nerve-wracking.
"We've handled ourselves really well through my amateur career. And we're going to try to do the same as a pro.
'It's an unbelievable moment. We've been waiting for this moment, for a couple months now.
"But I was so focused with the team in college golf and trying to win national championships and trying to play the best I can. It was definitely hard.
"But I'm excited to get my pro debut going and see how it goes. But it's just amazing to be here. It's a dream come true to be out here in general to play on the PGA Tour.'
Although Clanton finished two shots worse off than Aberg on his first day, he outgunned McIlroy by one with his level-par effort and admits it was a thrill as he stated: 'Being paired with Rory is no joke.
"The crowds are amazing. Watching him hit drivers and iron shots, it's cool.
"I watched him growing up my whole life, so I guess you could say he's like the Tiger Woods of my life.
'I didn't sleep very much. To meet Rory and play with him and be out there with Ludvig as well, two great ball strikers.
"First pro start with Rory McIlroy, it's definitely a day to remember.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
17 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Alexander Isak snubbed in Jamie Carragher's next five Liverpool transfer deals after £26m move
Jamie Carragher has again voiced his disapproval of Liverpool potentially signing Alexander Isak by listing five more deals the Reds should focus on getting over the line Jamie Carragher snubbed Alexander Isak when naming the five deals he wants Liverpool to finalise before the end of the summer transfer window. The Premier League champions have already splurged around £300million on Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, Armin Pesci, Freddie Woodman and Jeremie Frimpong this summer. Refusing to rest on their laurels, the Reds are also closely linked with a move for Isak. They have already had a mammoth £110m bid turned down by Newcastle at the start of this month. With the Swedish striker seemingly set on joining the Anfield club, Liverpool would need to increase their offer to a sum which would comfortably shatter the British transfer record in order to convince Newcastle to sell. But Carragher doesn't think a deal for Isak should be a priority for the club hierarchy at this moment in time, and that is largely down to the arrival of Ekitike last month for a fee of £69m plus £10m in potential add-ons. The Reds legend, speaking on Stick to Football brought to you by Sky Bet, highlighted the transfer business Liverpool should instead conduct, including the signing of two new centre-backs – a position Arne Slot has been left short following Jarell Quansah's departure and in light of Ibrahima Konate's contract expiring next summer. Carragher said: 'They've got to get at least one centre-back, maybe two.' Given the Reds' £26m agreement with Parma on Wednesday night to sign 18-year-old defender Giovanni Leoni, that leaves long-time target and Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi as one of Carragher's preferred transfer moves. He then acknowledged the potential departure of Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott as two more pieces of business, with their two prospective attacking replacements taking that figure up to five dealings before the end of the window on September 1. The pundit said: 'Liverpool need two more attackers because they're going to sell Harvey Elliott and they're probably going to sell Federico Chiesa.' When quizzed on why he had left Isak out of the list by his colleague Gary Neville, Carragher doubled down on his previous concerns about the potential move by saying the Swede's arrival wouldn't align with the decision to spend big money on Ekitike already this summer. Carragher said: 'It [a forward signing] could be another player. I'm not fully invested in breaking the bank for Isak. It's not about him as a player, I do worry about how robust he is to play twice a week for Liverpool.' He added: 'When you break the British transfer record for a player, he has to play virtually every game. He only doesn't play when he's injured. 'Ekitike, who Liverpool think is going to be the next Isak, would then have to be an understudy but I think he's too good and too expensive to be an understudy. You're only going to play when he's injured. 'It's not like Ekitike will have a year to learn the ropes and then become first-choice – Isak will still be there as your centre forward next year. For me, it's been done the wrong way around. 'When he [Isak] costs that much money there will also be a pressure on the manager to say, 'He's my guy' and play him. I just feel a little bit for the lad [Ekitike] who was bought for £80m thinking he was going to be the next big thing.' It is understood that Liverpool have prioritised signing an additional defender, with both Slot and Virgil van Dijk identifying the defence as the weakest aspect of the team after their defeat on penalties by Crystal Palace in the Community Shield.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Justin Rose explains why he snubbed LIV: ‘I felt like I had more to give'
Justin Rose has explained that an unwavering belief that he can still fulfil his boyhood dream of winning majors was behind his decision to turn down an offer from LIV Golf. Plenty of the Englishman's peers - including compatriots Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Paul Casey - took up lucrative offers from the Saudi-backed breakaway series, turning their back on the PGA Tour and limiting their participation in golf's biggest events. Rose was also subject to an offer three years ago, but declined a deal in order to continue to pursue a second major title. Another success to follow his 2013 US Open triumph is still to arrive yet the 45-year-old has continued to compete at the sharp end of leaderboards, finishing an agonising second to Rory McIlroy in a play-off at the Masters earlier this year. Having won the FedEx St Jude Championship last weekend, and sealed his place at the Ryder Cup in September, Rose has suggested that his competitive spirit remains undimmed as he targets more success late in his career. 'I had the opportunity and a lot of my friends have gone over there,' Rose told the No Laying Up podcast about LIV Golf. 'I harbour no ill feeling for guys who have made that decision at certain times in their career. 'I just felt like I had more to give myself. I felt like I needed to believe in the 12-year-old me that wanted to win major championships and chase my dreams. LIV didn't offer me that at all. 'It didn't offer me the opportunity to play in majors. I'm still not really guaranteed to be in majors for ever more – you have got to earn your way in this game. That's what I like about it. There is nothing given out here, you have got to earn everything, and I felt like I needed that challenge and that environment to keep pushing me. 'I didn't really have any business believing I could win a major again but I truly do believe I can have that Indian summer to my career. To me, that is way more valuable than, let's just say, putting a financial reward to it. It's my golfing dreams, it's the 12-year-old me. It's like having a rhetorical conversation with the 12-year-old me and trying to justify why I would make that move – he wouldn't have been too happy with it. 'With where I am trending, I am pretty happy with where I'm at and I think the dream is still alive.'
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Wayne Rooney makes Man Utd and title winner predictions as he sends Ruben Amorim message
Wayne Rooney has made his predictions for the 2025/26 Premier League season, with the Manchester United legend tipping his old side for a resurgence under Ruben Amorim Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has tipped Liverpool for the title and his old side for a Premier League resurgence under Ruben Amorim. However, he believes the Red Devils are one or two bodies short going into the new season. United kick off their season at home to Arsenal on Sunday and are eager to bounce back from a dismal 15th-place finish last season, which represented their worst Premier League campaign. But with new signings Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha bolstering their attack, there's a sense of optimism for a fresh start. Rooney, United's all-time leading scorer, believes his former employers will climb an impressive 10 places to secure a fifth-place finish by May. He made this prediction during a Match of the Day special edition preview (via the Manchester Evening News) alongside Kelly Cates, Danny Murphy and Julien Laurens ahead of the new season's kick-off. "I still think they [United] need one or two more signings," said the Old Trafford icon. "But I think you can see what Amorim is doing. I think it's looking better for Manchester United, and I think they will sneak into the top five. I hope they do, you never know." Laurens was quick to tease Rooney about his obvious bias given his 559 appearances for United. The Red Devils face a monumental challenge in regaining their Champions League credentials, especially after consecutive seasons of setting new records for new all-time worst league finishes. "Who did you play for again?" quipped Laurens, leaving Rooney and the rest of the panel in stitches over his potentially biased perspective. Despite his Everton and United roots, Rooney didn't let his loyalties cloud his judgement as he predicted Liverpool would retain their title. Moreover, he believes that if Arne Slot 's team manage to secure Isak, they're a sure bet for the crown. The Newcastle forward is currently at loggerheads with the club after it was revealed the Swede is determined he has played his last match for the Magpies, keenly awaiting another offer from Liverpool following a rejected £120million bid. "I already had Liverpool as favourites to win the title this year," Rooney admitted. "But if Isak comes in, then I think they're gonna be unstoppable. "The quality they've got, as Danny's just alluded [to], and I think a big thing was replacing Trent [Alexander-Arnold]. There's a lot of chances created, a lot of goals came from that side. I think [Jeremie] Frimpong has got the attributes to fill that, so I think Liverpool look strong." Rooney could only grin as he spoke the words, though it wasn't one of joy. Rather it seemed to pain the pundit to heap such praise on his old nemeses, regardless of how well-deserved the praise might be. Many pundits echo this sentiment as the new season approaches, especially with Liverpool bolstering their squad with talents like Florian Wirtz and Huge Ekitike. However, Slot's men may not find immediate success after Crystal Palace snatched the Community Shield at Wembley on Saturday. Rooney also predicted Arsenal will secure the Premier League's runner-up spot for the fourth consecutive year. He also tipped Manchester City and Chelsea to round out the top four. Article continues below
