Though he should still be an newbie, Luke Clanton performs, acts, and conducts himself like an expert golfer. And yet one more top-5 end on the Farmers Insurance coverage Open this week will make him simply that.
Clanton has amassed 17 factors via the PGA Tour’s Accelerated program, which awards prime faculty gamers factors based mostly on their accomplishments in faculty, newbie, {and professional} golf occasions. Whoever earns a complete of 20 factors by the tip of their junior 12 months robotically receives a PGA Tour card.
Nonetheless a junior, Clanton is at present the top-ranked newbie on the planet, which awards him 5 factors.
Ought to an newbie compete in any PGA Tour occasion, DP World Tour occasion, or a serious championship, they earn one level for making the minimize. 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 via the second spherical — when PGA Tour officers suspended play because of the 35-mile-per-hour gusts. However the Santa Ana winds didn’t section Clanton on Thursday, in contrast to many others within the subject. The Florida State Seminole was 3-under via 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 effectively, he’ll all however lock up his PGA Tour card.
He has posted top-5 finishes earlier than, final doing so at The RSM Basic in November. He additionally completed fifth on the Wyndham Championship final August and recorded one other T-2 on the John Deere Basic just a few weeks earlier than that.
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By. Comply with him on X @jack_milko.
