Luke Clanton (born November 5, 2003) is an American amateur golfer. He rose to world number one in the World Amateur Golf Ranking in August 2024.[3]
Amateur career
While at American Heritage High School, Clanton won the Florida High School State Championship on three occasions, in 2019, 2021 and 2022. He also won several other prestigeous tournaments, including the Azalea Invitational,[4] and the North and South Amateur at Pinehurst.[5][6]
In the fall of 2022, Clanton enrolled at Florida State University. In his sophomore year, he rose to number one in the World Amateur Golf Ranking after winning three amateur titles – the Seminole Intercollegiate, the Valspar Collegiate, and the Lewis Chitengwa Memorial – and performing well in several professional tournaments.[7]
In June 2024, Clanton competed in the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, having come through final qualifying at The Bear's Club in Florida, finishing T-41. The following month, he became the first amateur since 1958 to finish in the top-10 in back-to-back PGA Tour events, finishing in a tie for 10th at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and as joint runner-up in the John Deere Classic.[8][9] He had two more top-ten finishes on the PGA Tour later in the year, with a 5th place at the Wyndham Championship and another runner-up finish at the RSM Classic, which put him inside the top-100 of the Official World Golf Ranking.[10] At the end of the year, he was awarded the Mark H. McCormack Medal as the world's top amateur golfer.[11]
Amateur wins
- 2017 South Florida Junior Open, AJGA Junior at Blue Hill
- 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational Junior
- 2022 Azalea Invitational, North and South Amateur, South Beach International Amateur
- 2023 NCAA Morgan Hill Regional
- 2024 Seminole Intercollegiate, Valspar Collegiate, Lewis Chitengwa Memorial
Source:[12]
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | |
| PGA Championship | |
| U.S. Open | T41 |
| The Open Championship |
"T" = tied
References
- ^ DePasquale, Brian (July 13, 2018). "2018 U.S. Junior Amateur: Get to Know the Field". USGA.
- ^ "Week 47 2024 Ending 24 Nov 2024" (pdf). OWGR. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
- ^ "Unique double takes Malixi to fifth; Clanton becomes world number one". World Amateur Golf Ranking. August 14, 2024.
- ^ Braswell, Tommy (March 27, 2022). "Clanton claims Azalea Invitational by two shots". Post and Courier.
- ^ Pessagno, Zachary (June 10, 2024). "North & South champions set to take on U.S. Open in Pinehurst".
- ^ Golba, Justin (June 15, 2024). "U.S. Open: Gunnar Broin, Neal Shipley, Luke Clanton make the cut". AmateurGolf.com.
- ^ "Luke Clanton – Bio". Florida State Seminoles.
- ^ Prise, Kevin (July 7, 2024). "Luke Clanton becomes first amateur with back-to-back top-10s on TOUR since 1958". PGA Tour. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
- ^ Berhow, Josh (August 14, 2024). "The hottest player in amateur golf, Luke Clanton, isn't slowing down yet". Golf Magazine.
- ^ Romine, Brentley (November 25, 2024). "RSM runner-up solidifies it: Luke Clanton is ready for the PGA Tour". NBC Sports. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
- ^ "Luke Clanton awarded McCormack medal as world's leading amateur golfer". World Amateur Golf Ranking. August 21, 2024.
- ^ "Luke Clanton". World Amateur Golf Ranking. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
External links
- Luke Clanton at the PGA Tour official site
- Luke Clanton at the Official World Golf Ranking official site
