Luke Clanton goes cut line, contention, charter flight to U.S. Amateur all in one day

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Luke Clanton has a 2:09 p.m. tee time on Monday at the U.S. Amateur in Minnesota. He almost withdrew from the Wyndham Championship to make it.

"Let's play the third round, see how you do," said Rhonda Clanton, Luke's mother. "And if you do well we'll stay."

Rhonda wasn't exactly anticipating Luke to shoot a third-round 62, which moved him to 13-under through three rounds and one back of leader Matt Kuchar, who had six holes remaining in his third round. A final-round 69 solidified a fifth-place finish, Clanton's third top-10 on the TOUR this summer.

Clanton’s spot inside the cut line was no sure thing on Sunday morning either. The South Florida native had three holes left in Round 2 as darkness halted play Saturday evening, and he stood squarely on the cut line at 4-under. He admittedly, had difficulty sleeping, but he handled the nerves admirably with a par-par-birdie to finish one stroke inside the number.

Two rounds and a fifth-place finish later, Clanton's well on his way to Hazeltine National Golf Club -- in a private jet provided by sponsor Union Home Mortgage. It will be Rhonda's, who works as a flight attendant, first time flying on one.

"They have to wait on us," said Rhonda, as Luke finished his final round. "I'm a flight attendant. Nobody waits on us!" Rhonda said.

From a 35-minute turnaround between Rounds 3 and 4 on Sunday to a one-day turnaround on Monday, Clanton is exhausted -- but ready.

"This is a little bit different," Clanton said, comparing the 36-hole days played on the regular in college golf to the 39 total holes he played on Sunday. "The crowds and all that, it's exhausting. I'm exhausted, 39 holes of golf is no joke."

As an amateur, Clanton could not earn money or FedExCup points this week, and he thereby cannot qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs. Perhaps a free-wheeling perspective is aiding one of the game’s rising young talents.

Clanton opened Round 3 in par-birdie-birdie, then holed out from 129 yards for eagle at the par-4 13th. He bounced back from a bogey at No. 14 with another eagle at the par-5 15th, lacing a 239-yard second shot to 6 feet, and he rebounded from a bogey at No. 18 with a bogey-free 31 on his second nine.

After playing the first nine holes of his final round in even par, Clanton made three birdies in four holes on Nos. 4-6 to move into second place at 16-under. However, two closing bogeys Nos. 8-9 dropped him back to 14-under and out of the running. Per the split-tee start for Rounds 3 and 4, with no re-grouping, Clanton came just short of becoming the first since Derek Lamely (2010 Puerto Rico Open) to win a tournament after starting the final round on No. 10 tee.

"I should have stayed in it a little bit longer, kind of let myself get out of the zone and a couple bogeys coming down the stretch," said Clanton after his round. "I think it's one of those weeks that's a big positive builder for me. I missed the cut at 3M, was working on a few things and then came here and played really well, so it's awesome."

It was at the week of the 3M Open, contested at TPC Twin Cities in Minnesota, where Clanton was able to play Hazeltine and feel out the course. He acknowledged that despite the opportunities playing on the PGA TOUR has brought, winning the U.S. Amateur is his No. 1 priority.

Sunday's 62 marks Clanton’s third TOUR round of 63 or better since the John Deere Classic (he fired two 62s that week), marking the most on TOUR in that span. He has made five cuts in six TOUR starts this summer, including a T10 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and a runner-up at the John Deere Classic, raising tantalizing possibilities about what he could achieve once he turns pro (he has remained steadfast in his desire to return to Florida State to help the Seminoles chase a title).

"It's one of those things where I've always tried to be confident in myself, but seeing results is definitely a different story," said Clanton. "I would definitely not say I would have done this, no doubt. To be in contention for basically three events on the PGA TOUR was awesome, no doubt about it. I would definitely tell you seven months ago I would say no way."

With the made cut at the Wyndham, Clanton has now accrued 12 PGA TOUR University Accelerated points (he would earn another point with a top-10 finish). Collegiate players who accrue 20 PGA TOUR University Accelerated points can take up PGA TOUR membership at the conclusion of the next academic year.