Luke Clanton is in competition for the second consecutive week on the PGA Tour — as an beginner.
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These previous couple of years the highest storylines round males’s skilled golf have swirled round one ethos: revenue maximization.
So it was greater than just a little refreshing when, earlier this week, beginner Luke Clanton provided a distinct perspective.
Clanton is a rising junior at Florida State. Final month he made the lower on the U.S. Open, although Neal Shipley edged him for low am honors. He improved on that efficiency eventually week’s Rocket Mortgage Basic, the place he performed on a sponsor exemption and completed T10. As a result of Clanton has remained an beginner he’s forfeiting the big-time paychecks that include big-time outcomes on the PGA Tour, however in a pre-tournament press convention at this week’s John Deere Basic he made it clear that he’s okay with that.
Clanton was sporting a “Union Dwelling Mortgage” brand on his shirt and hat, a reminder that we’re in a brand new period on the subject of beginner golf, when a reporter requested the query: is there a lot NIL (title, picture and likeness) sponsorship cash in faculty golf?
“There’s just a little bit, little question,” he mentioned.
However not, absolutely, the identical quantity he might make on the PGA Tour?
“I feel it’s sufficient for a school pupil, for certain. I feel it’s — I don’t actually need some huge cash proper now. I’m 20 years previous, nonetheless at Florida State College. It’s sufficient to deal with what we now have right here and to have the ability to journey. I feel it’s good.”
Great things there, particularly that two-word phrase we haven’t seen a lot of: “It’s sufficient.”
That echoed the same sentiment he expressed on the Rocket Mortgage:
“I play golf to play golf. I feel having the ability to play golf along with your buddies each single day, it’s one thing you don’t get very a lot. I’ve acquired 12 dudes on that staff that I completely love, so it’s superior.”
Maybe one key to Clanton’s contentedness is that the 20-year-old feels assured that there’s loads of prize cash in his enjoying future. He confirmed that at Pinehurst and at Detroit Golf Membership and he’s displaying that by two rounds at this week’s John Deere, too, the place he opened 63-67 and, as of Friday afternoon, sits T4 on the match’s midway level. That’s a key to understanding Clanton: he’s actually good. DataGolf has him ranked as one of the best beginner on this planet. He’s not quick on self-assuredness.
Requested if he’s shocked to be on these leaderboards, Clanton mainly shrugged.
“Probably not,” he mentioned. “I don’t wish to sound cocky or boastful in any respect, however we’ve educated to do what we’re doing right here.”
That doesn’t imply he’s taking it without any consideration. Clanton got here off the course on Friday expressing simply how a lot enjoyable he’d had battling his solution to a four-under 67 that included a double bogey-birdie-birdie-par end.
“I knew I used to be going to make birdie, birdie,” he mentioned of his mindset following the double. “I knew it. I knew after I acquired that double, I mentioned to myself, we ain’t ending at 10-under; we’re going to complete at 12.”
Clanton’s sport has him swimming in summer time alternative. This week, for example, he may very well be on the prestigious Palmer Cup however he’s right here as an alternative. He’ll play the ISCO in Kentucky subsequent week, then take every week off, then play the 3M Open. There’s loads of PGA Tour golf in his future even earlier than he turns professional. However his aim?
“I feel aim No. 1 is to win a nationwide championship with my staff,” he mentioned of his fellow Seminoles. Each staff and particular person can be nice, he provides.
He allowed that circumstances might change if, say, he received the John Deere this week — “we’ll see,” he mentioned, appropriately including that “we now have two extra days of golf” — however he was eager on emphasizing one phrase for the week.
“I’m simply having enjoyable,” he mentioned. “I’m going to say that again and again as a result of it’s the reality. I’m probably not making an attempt to suppose an excessive amount of about all of it.”
He has buddies in excessive locations, this proficient 20-year-old. Fellow FSU golfer Brooks Koepka has helped him together with his mindset, he mentioned, thanks to a few rounds collectively.
“He helped me loads with simply staying calmer by rounds and understanding to take it one shot at a time,” Clanton mentioned of Koepka. “Sounds easy and it’s, however if you’re on the market and making an attempt to chase birdies, it will get caught up in your head. So I noticed simply take it one shot at a time. Understanding that I’m going to hit unhealthy golf photographs; it’s not going to be excellent on a regular basis. Simply understanding that.”
He’s additionally borrowed from the mindset of World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, with whom he shared a apply spherical on the U.S. Open.
“Finest participant on this planet I feel by a mile proper now,” Clanton mentioned. “I talked to him a bunch about his religion and my religion and understanding that he mentioned to me, golf is only a sport. It doesn’t establish who I’m. When he mentioned that to me it type of clicked, as a result of it’s understanding that this sport of golf doesn’t establish who I’m off the golf course, on the golf course.
“Once more, I’m simply having enjoyable.”
It’s simpler to have enjoyable, in fact, if you’re enjoying nicely. However it’s additionally simpler to play nicely if you’re having enjoyable. Clanton has labored himself into this virtuous cycle, a top-tier beginner enjoying in opposition to the top-tier expertise on the PGA Tour and acquitting himself admirably, letting enjoyable and confidence every feed off one another, figuring out good issues will comply with.
For now, it’s sufficient. Greater than sufficient, even.
