Luke Clanton’s chase for a PGA Tour card will proceed subsequent week in Napa, California.
The rising Florida State junior will miss the Seminoles’ fall opener because of this.
Clanton, the world’s top-ranked beginner who has dazzled this summer time in skilled tournaments, is among the many sponsor exemptions for the Procore Championship, the primary occasion of the Tour’s fall sequence, which begins every week from Thursday at Silverado Resort. The Folds of Honor Collegiate, which kicks off Florida State’s season, is scheduled for Monday-Wednesday.
Since making his Tour debut on the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, the place he tied for forty first and practically captured low-amateur honors, Clanton has competed in 5 PGA Tour occasions up to now couple months, posting three top-10s and lacking only one reduce. He tied for second on the John Deere Basic and most just lately completed solo fifth on the Wyndham Championship.
That stellar summer time has launched Clanton up the standings in PGA Tour College’s Accelerated program, which awards Tour playing cards to varsity underclassmen who obtain a sure variety of elite benchmarks. Clanton has earned 14 of the 20 factors required to fulfill Accelerated, which means if he earns six extra factors earlier than the tip of subsequent spring’s NCAA Championship, he can settle for Tour membership starting subsequent summer time.
Among the many avenues that Clanton can take to twenty factors: making a Tour reduce (1), ending high 10 in a Tour occasion (1), profitable the NCAA particular person title (3), capturing a person participant of the yr award (3 apiece for Haskins, Hogan, Nicklaus).
In fact, Clanton might additionally do what Nick Dunlap did final spring and win a Tour occasion as an beginner. Dunlap turned professional simply days after his American Categorical victory and has since added a second Tour win, this summer time on the Barracuda Championship.
As for Florida State, the Seminoles are used to fall absences. They didn’t discipline their greatest lineup till the spring final yr, letting gamers both compete in occasions exterior of school golf or relaxation. It labored out, as Florida State completed because the nationwide runner-up to Auburn at La Costa final Could. With Clanton out, sophomore Carson Brewer will begin alongside 4 gamers who certified for the U.S. Newbie this summer time – Grey Albright, Tyler Weaver, Jack Bigham and Michael Mays.
The Seminoles start the season ranked No. 2 in Golf Channel’s preseason rankings.
Clanton is joined within the Napa discipline by fellow sponsor invitations Neal Shipley, who edged him for low beginner at Pinehurst, and Wenyi Ding, who left Arizona State this summer time after only one semester and is about to obtained a full DP World Tour card subsequent month through the World Newbie Pathway rankings.
