PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Luke Clanton let himself briefly celebrate the momentous moment on Friday night, but it was hardly a party befitting the accomplishment.
He locked up his PGA TOUR card in emotional fashion, pouring in a birdie at the 18th hole in front of dozens of family and friends, but there was still work to do. He was in contention at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches and he planned to “win the damn event.” His card was great, but he wanted more.
Clanton’s family was on hand all week, following his every shot at PGA National Resort. They had a fitting celebration after the second round, but it didn’t include Clanton. He and his caddie grabbed Chipotle and retired for the night. Clanton didn’t even look much at his TOUR card. He gave it to his caddie to hold onto.
The exhale came after the final round Sunday. Clanton gave a run at his first PGA TOUR title, briefly jumping into a tie for second before faltering on the back nine. There was some disappointment in the finish, but mostly there was relief. For the first time in months, Clanton wasn’t worried about when his next start might come and what he would need to do to secure his TOUR card.
The job was done.
“I still haven’t really realized it yet, I guess,” Clanton said of earning his card, which he secured with a made cut at PGA National. “Probably when I’m done here, get to spend some time with the family and hang out with them, it’ll probably hit me a little bit harder. But it’s just done, thankfully.”
Clanton admitted the chase for his card had begun to weigh on him, even if it appeared it was just a matter of time. He was growing weary of all the questions from media, friends, family and fans about when it would happen. He wanted to enjoy what will likely be his last semester in college before turning pro, spend time with teammates and hopefully win an NCAA Championship, not chase sponsor exemptions and made cuts.
Clanton’s rise to a card has been uniquely his. He is the second player to earn his card through PGA TOUR University Accelerated, joining Vanderbilt’s Gordon Sargent. But Sargent earned his card largely through collegiate accolades. None of Clanton’s 20 points came directly from his collegiate performance. He earned 14 of his 20 points via PGA TOUR results. The other six points were earned through the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
Clanton has another exemption into the Valspar Championship in a few weeks. He’s not sure if he’s going to play yet.
“I’m so glad that we can stop talking about the point,” Clanton’s mom Rhonda told PGATOUR.COM, referencing the 20-point threshold required to earn a card through PGA TOUR University Accelerated. “We can play golf now and enjoy it.”
There’s a lot Clanton is excited to do before turning pro. He is playing the famed Seminole Pro-Member on Monday (though Clanton is technically still an amateur), which Tiger Woods will also play in. He’s ready for a proper celebration with his family. Then he’s headed back to Tallahassee to greet his teammates, who spent the weekend in Mexico at a tournament, and prep for his next goal. “I want to win a national championship, plain and simple,” he said. He has hundreds of texts to respond to, including one from Florida Gators legend Tim Tebow.
Oh, and Clanton needs to get his TOUR card back from his caddie.
“Mom will definitely put it in a frame,” he said.