Luke Clanton is getting the hang of what his career might look like in the elite lineup. Having turned pro last June, Clanton is making some significant noise with his performances. However, as he looks to compete against the likes of Scottie Scheffler and others, his initial run-in with the World No. 1 was not a pleasant one. In fact, it left him terrified. 

“The US Open I played at Pinehurst. I played with Scottie and Sam Burns. And I think it was like first tee box. They were like, “Hey, $1000 birdies.” And I was like, they were messing with me. No. Yeah, they had to be because I was terrified,” said Clanton in an interview with Smylie Kaufman. 

Notably, getting such a challenge from Scheffler made the young golfer a little nervous. Recomposing himself, Clanton immediately replied that he was ready to play $5 birdies. Reflecting on his decision, the young golfer told Kaufman that he was very smart as he knew how to pick and choose his priorities. 

He also told Kaufman that while he declined Scheffler’s offer, back home, he might consider playing some ‘good money games.’ And that’s not all. Clanton also detailed how he had a habit of playing with his friends for 15 shots with $100 or $200 on the line. 

When Kaufman reminded him that he would probably shoot 65 and lose the $200, Clanton replied, “That gets old pretty quick. I did. I shot 66 and l lost 200 and I was like, damn. I thought I played pretty good there. But no, I don’t mind paying that because it comes around, goes around. Buy me dinner and it’s great.”

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However, Scheffler and Clanton’s relationship runs quite deep. Coming into the professional realm, Clanton draws inspiration from the World No. 1. While he is extremely impressed with Scheffler’s gameplay, the young golfer also admires his ability to strike a balance. 

For the 22-year-old, Scheffler has not made golf his sole identity. In fact, treating the game as his profession, the 29-year-old has achieved some stellar success, something which Clanton aspires to replicate in the future. 

Notably, this is not the only hilarious interaction between the two.

Scottie Scheffler jokes about Luke Donald juggling college and tour

Luke Clanton stepped into 2026 after having a stellar run last year which earned him his PGA Tour card. However, alongside teeing off for professional events, he has remained enrolled at Florida State University. And this has left even the world’s number one golfer in confusion. 

While the young phenom tries to pave his path towards greatness, he has made one thing clear to the golfing realm. That he admires Scottie Scheffler and takes inspiration from him. So much so that he even recently shared a bold take by calling him the best golfer ever, keeping him ahead of even Tiger Woods. Before the WM Phoenix Open in, Scheffler reflected on the young man’s antics. 

“First of all, I saw Luke yesterday and I was going to ask him what his status was in terms of getting his card because I feel like I’ve been seeing him so much playing tournaments that I didn’t know if he was still in college or not,” Scheffler humorously stated while talking to the reporters at TPC Scottsdale.

Scheffler then added, “So asked him yesterday, ‘Are you still in school,’ and he’s like, ‘well, yeah.’ I’m like, ‘okay, good. You passing some classes?’”

Praising the 22-year-old star who idolises him, Scheffler said, “He’s played great golf and definitely deserves to get his card, so I hope that he plays good this week and locks it up and goes back and does his thing in school.”

“But as far as him thinking of me as a role model, I’m here to help with what I can, but at the end of the day I try to come out here and play golf, and if the younger guys have some questions for me, I’m more than happy to answer them”, added the 29-year-old golfing icon.

However, in 2026, he faced a difficult start to his 2026 PGA Tour season. The American star missed the cut in two of his first three appearances. And now, adding to that, he had to withdraw from an event due to illness. Now, as he looks to bounce back in the competitive sphere, the golf world will wait to witness what tips and tricks he actually inculcates from the World’s No. 1 golfer.