Hard work, sacrifice paved Florida State amateur Luke Clanton’s path to Pinehurst

PINEHURST, N.C. – One day after qualifying for his first U.S. Open, Luke Clanton went home.

Clanton, a rising junior at Florida State, visited his childhood driving range – C.B. Smith Park – and caught up with old buddies from his hometown of Hialeah, Florida, outside Miami. From age 10 onward, Clanton hosted U.S. Open watch parties at his house, so it was especially meaningful when he got through Final Qualifying in Jupiter, Florida.

“I was talking with my buddies right after I qualified,” he said. “Like, ‘Oh, we can have a watch party at the U.S. Open this time, instead of at home.’”

Eight of those friends will be on site when Clanton tees off in the first round at 2:20 p.m. ET Thursday alongside professionals Andrew Svoboda and Frankie Capan III.

“They’re pretty pumped up just to be out here,” said Clanton, one of 16 amateurs to make it to Pinehurst for the year’s third major. “And to even play in the field is pretty sweet. Growing up playing this sport and being able to be at the U.S. Open, when you’re a little kid practicing putts to make the U.S. Open, it’s unbelievable.”

Clanton, the world’s fifth-ranked amateur, has sky-high potential. He was a First Team All-American as a sophomore this past season, when he set the Florida State single-season scoring average record (69.33). Keep in mind, this is a program that produced Paul Azinger, Brooks Koepka and Daniel Berger, among others.

This was the path everyone had in mind as Clanton’s parents and sisters sacrificed so much in his early development as a golfer.

Clanton, 20, grew up at 36-hole, public-access Country Club of Miami. He played with U.S. Kids junior clubs until getting his first full set at age 12 or 13 – his dad David, his first coach, believes in sticking with clubs you feel comfortable with (Luke has played TaylorMade P760 irons for the past four or five years).

David works three jobs – as a landscaper, running a glass business and giving golf lessons. Clanton’s mom Rhonda works 15-hour shifts as a flight attendant. Luke learned the value of hard work from his parents, and selflessness from his older sisters, Ray (who moved to New York City at age 18 to chase a career as a model and photographer) and Abby (who played collegiate soccer at West Alabama and is moving to Minnesota to work as a veterinarian). Ray and Abby sacrificed hobbies so Luke could pursue his golf dreams.

“Abby was one of the best soccer players growing up,” Clanton said. “She was unbelievable, and she didn’t go to certain colleges because of me. She wanted to be a zoologist and all these things, and Ray, same way. I was young and they were already saying, ‘I don’t want to travel as much, save money for him,’ because we were growing up with not much money.

“To be here at the U.S. Open and text them and tell them I love them and how much it means to me … we’re all across the country, but we all still connect every single day.”

Clanton says his top priority for the immediate future is to earn enough with his golf to allow his parents to retire, and he tends to accomplish what he sets out to do. He has already met his goal for this week – a practice round with Scottie Scheffler. The connection came via Jayce Barber, a mutual friend and staffer for College Golf Fellowship, with which Scheffler partners to host a yearly retreat for high school golfers.

Clanton and Scheffler discussed golf, life, faith – and Scheffler’s enviable work-life balance.

“I think it’s just his belief, seriously,” Clanton said of Scheffler’s competitive edge. “His belief in himself and his belief in Christ. I think those two things combined is an unbelievable thing. Of course he has a little bit different, unique swing and the foot sliding and all that, but it doesn’t matter … the guy hits it great and he’s an unbelievable person in general.

“He has that mentality where it doesn’t matter if he goes out and wins or misses the cut; he’s the same person.”

Clanton foresees a day when his dad can semi-retire and give lessons at Pinehurst, the cradle of American golf with 10 courses. It’s certainly a fitting place for Clanton’s first U.S. Open. Two years ago, he won the North & South Amateur at Pinehurst. Three years prior, when he was 15, he made his U.S. Amateur debut at Pinehurst. And he won the 2015 U.S. Kids World Junior (boys 11 and under) at nearby Talamore Golf Resort.

Not that he’s one to advertise these triumphs – he keeps his North & South trophy in his closet, he admitted Tuesday.

“I don’t show much,” Clanton said. “Winning’s sweet, but I talked to Scottie about it this practice round; it’s awesome for about five minutes and then you realize that it’s not your life. It’s cool to win and you get the galleries and stuff, but it’s just not who you are.”

It’s the memories that remain, the ones that were cultivated as a kid in South Florida, with the same friends who will have the ultimate watch party this week.