Luke Clanton will experience one of the most special moments of his career this week: his professional debut on the PGA Tour. At 21 years old and after a successful amateur career, the young American golfer will make his debut at the RBC Canadian Open. It’s not just any debut. He is one of the great promises and has decided to make the leap after earning his rights through the PGA Tour Accelerated.
Overflowing emotion and feet on the ground. This is how he approaches the step ahead: “Today my dream comes true. I become a professional golfer on the PGA Tour,” he began saying in an emotional press conference where he deeply thanked his family, coaches, teammates at Florida State University and, especially, his parents. “I am the son of the hard work and sacrifice of David and Rhonda Clanton. They have given everything so that I am here today.”
Regarding his idols, Clanton declared himself a big fan of Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. “What they do at the end of tournaments is impressive. They never let emotions take over.” Not bad role models to look up to.
However, when it comes to setting goals, he resembles Scottie more than Rory. Being in the process, staying in the present have been two expressions used by Luke that could well come from Scottie’s notebook. When asked about his goals, he admitted that he wants to win tournaments and Majors, but he stopped a step before, it was a bit even boring. He wanted to emphasize that his focus now is to maintain “the process” and not obsess over results. “I know everyone says the same thing, but it’s true: golf is one shot at a time.” Clanton has already achieved good results as an amateur in PGA Tour tournaments, such as a second place in the Cognizant Classic.
The PGA Tour has wanted to grant him one of his dreams. He will debut as a professional alongside one of those idols, Rory McIlroy. The first two rounds in Canada he will share the start with the Masters champion and the Swedish Ludvig Aberg, whom he acknowledges is also one of those players he looks up to.
“In some way, I am still learning. I don’t know how I resemble them, if I resemble them at all, but I know I am a good golfer and have a good mindset, and that will keep me strong throughout my career.”
That’s where he has internalized his strengths: “I have a strong mindset, very strong. I believe it is one of my greatest strengths, and something I have built with my team. It’s not just about saying how good I am, but about how much we work. It’s something I am quite proud of.”
It seems he knows where it comes from: “I think it’s something my father instilled in me. I’ve talked about this several times, but what my father did since I was very young made me the person I am today. He took that step of demanding the most from me when I was a child, making me train as hard as possible and hit golf balls in the dark with a flashlight. Those kinds of things shape you to be mentally strong, to be mentally prepared for these big moments.” Many greats like Tiger, the Williams sisters, or Andre Agassi himself have had a demanding paternal figure behind them.
Regarding the leap to professionalism, he confessed that the most revealing moment was when he boarded the plane to Canada. “That’s when I realized this is real. I am excited, not nervous, to compete.” Aware that many young people dream of reaching where he is, he wanted to give them some advice: “Stay on your path. Don’t try to imitate others just because they seem successful. Be yourself.”
When asked if he has received any offers to play in LIV Golf, Luke was blunt: “It’s simple, I want to play on the PGA Tour. I want to compete against the best and play the Majors. It’s that simple.” Straight to the point. He was clear about his goals and doesn’t seem to have doubted much.
During the press conference, he revealed a funny anecdote: his mother has recently retired, and now works organizing the family team’s trips. “I told her: ‘Mum, you won’t have to work anymore’. And she replied: ‘Now I’ll work for you’. It’s amazing to see my parents take a break and realize they can enjoy the experiences with me and that we can spend time together. It’s something every child dreams of: being able to retire their parents and help them in every way. It’s incredible to be able to give back some of what they have given me.” The contract he has with Nike for the past three months has probably helped in the decision.
