Luke Clanton is heading to the desert.
The 21-year-old junior at Florida State earned one of five sponsor exemptions into the 2025 WM Phoenix Open, it was announced Wednesday. Joining Clanton as sponsor invites are fellow amateur Josele Ballester, a senior at Arizona State who won the 2024 U.S. Amateur, Frankie Capan III, Chez Reavie and Kevin Streelman.
Last week, Clanton made the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open and finished tied for 15th. In 10 PGA Tour starts dating to last summer, the world’s top-ranked amateur has made the cut in eight of them and has a pair of runner-up finishes.
Next week is significant for Clanton, as he could earn his PGA Tour card with a made cut. Clanton sits at 18 points in PGA Tour University Accelerated, which awards Tour cards for collegiate amateurs able to get to 20 points based of specific criteria. Next Wednesday when the World Amateur Golf Ranking updates, it will be Clanton’s 26th week as the No. 1 player, which will give him a 19th point.
If he then makes the cut at TPC Scottsdale, that will be point No. 20, and he’ll be able to accept membership on the PGA Tour.
Only one player, Vanderbilt senior Gordon Sargent, has reached the 20-point threshold since the program started. He did so the fall of his junior year and decided to return and play his senior year. He’ll turn pro and join the PGA Tour after the NCAA Championship in May.
Jackson Koivun, a sophomore at Auburn who also made the cut last week at the Farmers, sits two points away from the 20-point mark. He’s set to tee it up at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March, though Koivun has indicated he’s likely to return to Auburn for at least his junior season.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Luke Clanton earns sponsor exemption into 2025 WM Phoenix Open
Read the full article here