Though he should be an novice, Luke Clanton performs, acts, and conducts himself like an expert golfer. And yet another top-5 end on the Farmers Insurance coverage Open this week will make him simply that.
Clanton has amassed 17 factors by the PGA Tour’s Accelerated program, which awards prime faculty gamers factors based mostly on their accomplishments in faculty, novice, {and professional} golf occasions. Whoever earns a complete of 20 factors by the tip of their junior yr mechanically receives a PGA Tour card.
Nonetheless a junior, Clanton is presently the top-ranked novice on the earth, which awards him 5 factors.
Ought to an novice compete in any PGA Tour occasion, DP World Tour occasion, or a serious championship, they earn one level for making the lower. You obtain an extra level for posting a top-10 end and one other level on prime of that for ending among the many top-5.
Due to this fact, Clanton will obtain three factors for ending among the many top-5 at Torrey Pines, thus securing a PGA Tour card.
He’s in a terrific place halfway by the second spherical — when PGA Tour officers suspended play because of the 35-mile-per-hour gusts. However the Santa Ana winds didn’t part Clanton on Thursday, not like many others within the area. The Florida State Seminole was 3-under by 10 holes and tied for third when the horn sounded. No one else had posted something decrease than that.
Clanton fired a 2-under 70 on day one and, subsequently, was 5-under total on the time of the suspension. Ought to he proceed to play properly, he’ll all however lock up his PGA Tour card.
He has posted top-5 finishes earlier than, final doing so at The RSM Traditional in November. He additionally completed fifth on the Wyndham Championship final August and recorded one other T-2 on the John Deere Traditional a couple of weeks earlier than that.
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By way of. Comply with him on X @jack_milko.
