Latest news with #Clanton
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
'The Tiger Woods of my Life:' Luke Clanton Overwhelmed at Canadian Open
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Two of the most highly anticipated PGA Tour debuts happened this week at the RBC Canadian Open. Luke Clanton and Gordon Sargent are both in the field making their first starts as professionals. The two youngsters captured the world's attention throughout the last year and now they are no longer amateur phenoms but two more names on Tour. "Didn't sleep very much," Clanton said after his round Thursday. It was not the pressure or excitement to make his debut, but his playing partner. "Being paired with Rory [McIlroy] is no joke," he explained. "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, and it's really cool." To start your career on the PGA Tour in a group with one of the best to ever play and another young phenom is quite the entrance. "First pro start with Rory McIlroy, it's definitely a day to remember," Clanton said. CALEDON, ONTARIO - JUNE 05: Luke Clanton of the United States looks on from the 18th green during the first round of the RBC Canadian Open 2025 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley on June... CALEDON, ONTARIO - JUNE 05: Luke Clanton of the United States looks on from the 18th green during the first round of the RBC Canadian Open 2025 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley on June 05, 2025 in Caledon, Ontario. More Photo byTo cap it off, the 21-year-old even recorded a better score than his idol as Clanton signed for an even par 70 for his first round as a PGA Tour professional. McIlroy shot a 71. As for Sargent, he was not among the bigger groupings, so it was not as intimidating for him, but there were still some emotions there. "Some nerves and excitement. Nice to tee off early, to not have to sit around all day and wait," Sargent said on Thursday. "I was definitely nervous, but happy with how I kind of hung in there." Sargent opened with a 1-over 71 at the RBC Canadian Open. The former Vanderbilt standout was the first player to earn the 20 points through the PGA Tour University Accelerated Program. He did it in October of 2023, but decided to stay for his senior year. Volume up 🔊 Gordon Sargent hitting driver sounds different. The 22-year-old's ball speed with his driver typically falls in the 185-190 mph range. — SCOREGolf (@SCOREGolf) June 5, 2025 This year, Clanton became the second player to earn his card with the Acclerated Program by making the cut at the Cognizant Classic in March. He took the world by storm and quickly earned his 20 points with his incredible play as an amateur on the PGA Tour. Last year he made eight starts and had two runner up finishes, four top 10s and only missed one cut. They are not the only two college guys who make their professional debut this week in Canada. So to did David Ford, who finished atop the PGA Tour University rankings this season, like Ludvig Åberg did in 2023. "Puts a really good roll on it." David Ford on his Timeless Tourtype SSS before he tees up for his first PGA TOUR start today at the RBC Canadian Open. His full WITB: — Scotty Cameron (@ScottyCameron) June 5, 2025 Ford recently won the Fred Haskins Award and was a Ben Hogan Award finalist. He won an impressive five times during his senior season which shot him up the rankings and helped earn him his PGA Tour card. The former Tar Heel posted an even-par 70 to begin his PGA Tour career. "It's such a blessing. I'm pumped to be out here and making my first start with my card," Ford said. "Obviously not the day I wanted, but a lot of positives." How will their first week on the PGA Tour go? Will they all make the cut or will their weekend end early? For Round 2 of the RBC Canadian Open, Clanton tees off with McIlroy and Åberg at 12:55 p.m. ET, Sargent's group is off at 1:50 p.m. and Ford's tees off in the morning wave at 8:46 a.m. More Golf: Canadian Open: Rory McIlroy Stands Firm on Skipping Media with Harsh Retort
Irish Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
'I played on the PGA Tour with Rory McIlroy – I didn't get to sleep very much'
Luke Clanton made a solid impression on his professional PGA Tour debut, sharing that hitting the links with Rory McIlroy on his maiden round meant he lost out on sleep due to nerves. By being placed in a group with the likes of McIlroy and Swedish star Ludvig Aberg at the Canadian Open, the 21-year-old proved just how highly he's thought of in the game. Having sharpened his skills at Florida State University and earned his tour card via the PGA Tour University Accelerated programme, Clanton has already caused ripples on the circuit with four amateur top-10s and by clinching second place at the John Deere Classic and the RSM Classic. Post his third year at FSU, Clanton pounced at the chance for a PGA Tour card and embarked on his pro journey at TPC Toronto, where, after shaking off an initial nervous start and three bogeys, he struck an even-par 70, nudging ahead of McIlroy by a single stroke. It was undoubtedly a red-letter day for Clanton, who is no stranger to acclaim, having held the title of world No. 1 amateur. "I don't know if you really call this work," Clanton said when asked about his first round as a pro. "I mean, we play golf for a living, and it's amazing. "What a group we had and what an experience we had. Me and my caddie were having a blast out there, so it was a lot of fun. I hit it really well and putted it really good. Just a few [poor] tee shots here and there, but it was good." He added: "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, and it's really cool. "Didn't sleep very much. I was playing with Rory ... I've never experienced anything like that. It was so cool 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." Clanton bounced back from his rocky start and impressively recovered. Starting with a remarkable eagle at the 18th hole, a par-five, he then found his footing, securing a birdie at the fifth. As the day progressed, Clanton had opportunities to dip under par but ultimately ended with an even 70. This leaves him tied for 74th, with his position likely to change as the remaining players complete their rounds. "I said to my caddie, the range session, putting, chipping, everything felt fine, even walking up to the first tee, shaking [McIlroy's] hand, everything felt fine," he added. "Once I took that club back, I couldn't feel it. So it was a new experience for sure. It's cool to be thrown in the fire right away, so it's awesome."
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
US golden boy Luke Clanton can take Ludvig Aberg charge to Ryder Cup big stage
Superkid makes pro debut in exactly same place as Swede and can repeat his trick 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.'
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Part of Luke Clanton's prep? Deep Dark Meditation — and it seems to be working
Part of Luke Clanton's prep? Deep Dark Meditation — and it seems to be working When Luke Clanton opened his professional debut Thursday at the RBC Canadian Open in Caledon, Ontario, with bogeys on two of the first three holes, it wasn't exactly how he drew it up. That's because Clanton, 21, practices Deep Dark Meditation for 40 minutes before every round. Asked if he meditated in the shower before his round with Masters champion and world No. 2 Rory McIlroy and Swedish rising star Ludvig Aberg, ranked No. 8, Clanton responded, 'Yeah, I did, yeah. I can't believe that's getting out, but yeah, I did.' Clanton rallied from his slow start on Thursday to make an eagle at 18, his ninth hole of the day, and shoot even-par 70 at TPC Toronto's Osprey Valley (North Course). Clanton, who just completed his junior season at Florida State, secured his 20th point and PGA Tour membership through PGA Tour University Accelerated Program following a made cut at the Cognizant Classic in March. He also earned exempt status through 2026. Clanton notched four PGA Tour top-10 finishes in 2024, including two runner-up finishes, becoming the first amateur since Jack Nicklaus in 1961 with three or more top-10 finishes on Tour in a year. He capped off his time as a Seminole as the top-ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Rankings with seven individual collegiate titles, including four this season, and was named the recipient of the 2025 Ben Hogan Award, one of three player of the year awards in college golf. How did Clanton become a regular practitioner of Deep Dark Meditation? 'I've kind of struggled with kind of settling into the moment a lot. I guess about seven months ago I was like, you know what, I'm just going to turn off all the lights and kind of get into the zone. It's been working, so I think I'm going to keep doing it.' 'I try to keep my eyes open as much as I can, so my eyes start to hallucinate,' he told The Athletic. 'It's definitely a little bit crazy, but for me, it gets me in such a headspace where I'm blocking everything I need to block out.' Clanton may not have visualized a slow start on Thursday but he brought the right attitude to his debut. Asked how his first day of work on the job went, he said, "I don't know if you really call this work. I mean, we play golf for a living, and it's amazing."
NBC Sports
5 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Luke Clanton (70) relishes star-studded grouping to start pro career
Luke Clanton felt completely normal Thursday as he prepared for his first competitive round as a PGA Tour member. He grabbed a bagel and coffee from Tim Horton's. He looked good as he worked through the bag on the range. He was calm as he shook Rory McIlroy's hand on the 10th hole while their tee time approached. And then ... he took the club back. 'I couldn't feel it,' he said. 'So it was a nice experience, for sure.' One of the Tour's ballyhooed new additions debuted on Thursday at the RBC Canadian Open, where Clanton struggled a bit with his driver but managed to eke out an even-par round of 70 to start his pro Tour career. 'It was a lot of fun,' he said. 'I hit it really well and putted it really good. Just a few tee shots here and there, but it was good.' The Tour threw Clanton right into a featured group to start, alongside Rory McIlroy and Ludvig Aberg. Aberg got the best of the grouping with a 68, while Clanton edged McIlroy by a shot. Clanton said he didn't sleep much in anticipation of the star-studded grouping – not so much from nerves, but excitement. He called McIlroy the 'Tiger Woods of my life,' since he's grown up watching him play. 'The first tee shot,' he said, 'I've never experienced anything like that. It was so cool to meet Rory and play with him and be out there with Ludvig as well, two great ball-strikers. It was really cool.' The trio will head out at 12:55 p.m. ET on Friday.
