There are stories of Luke Clanton practicing his short game until midnight when he was nearing the end of his elementary school. He got shooed away by the grounds staff when he was only 11, but today, they would keep the gates of his hometown course wide open even if he plans to play all night long. That’s because now, he is a PGA Tour cardholder. He has brought pride to his hometown of Hialeah in Florida. And Clanton is over the moon to be an official PGA Tour member.

Speaking to Claire Rogers from Golf.com for an episode of The Scoop, the 21-year-old revealed how life has been on the PGA Tour so far. He said, “Honestly, I said it’s a little bit easier than college golf because you just get to play nine holes, eat some food, practice, and then kind of do it again. So, the preparation is definitely nicer. Everyone out here is nice and helpful with everything. The trainers out here, everyone, I mean, it’s just… You’re basically treated like a king out here. It’s so nice. I always thought you can’t really get mad when you’re out here because you’re just playing golf with them. But it’s just unbelievable.”

Clanton really seems to be enjoying his time on the PGA Tour so far. The facilities available for PGA Tour players to train would definitely be a huge upgrade from anything he received at the university level. Being around the best golfers in the world and watching them play every day would also boost his confidence and help him pick up a few vital skills. As an official member, he has already made two appearances. One was a missed cut in the RBC Canadian Open and the other was at the last signature event of the season. Now, after the end of the first round, he is currently sitting at T14, 4 strokes away from the top in the 2025 Rocket Classic. But Clanton’s story would have been quite different had he followed the same path as another young golfer who gave up his PGA Tour card.

Back in January 2025, Tom McKibbin received a lot of heat for giving up his PGA Tour membership in favor of LIV Golf. Analysts and fans criticized him for not listening to his long-time friend, Rory McIlroy‘s advice, and instead joining Jon Rahm‘s Legion XIII for the 2025 season. So when Luke Clanton was also nearing his membership, he too was asked about a possible LIV Golf switch.

The 21-year-old replied, “I want to play the PGA Tour, pretty simple. I want to play against the best, I want to compete in majors, and that’s it. Simple.” Looks like his goal was set, and it was to be a part of the PGA Tour. While he didn’t confirm any offers from LIV Golf, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if reports of LIV Golf trying to poach him come to the surface.

While Luke Clanton has chosen his path for the future, his story of how he got to this point is quite interesting.

Luke Clanton’s life before and after PGA Tour membership

No PGA Tour Latinoamerica, no PGA Tour Canada, not even the Korn Ferry Tour, Luke booked a ticket straight to the biggest Tour in America. And he did so through the PGA Tour University Accelerated program, where he reached the 20-point threshold to get his card. Being the WAGR #1 player for 26 weeks and 4 top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour helped him get to 19, and the cut in the 2025 Cognizant Classic gave him the 20th point to qualify.

But Clanton didn’t realize what he had achieved until he was on his way to TPC Toronto. He confessed, “I think the moment it hit me was when we were flying to Canada. We had to bring a passport and everything. I remember I got on the flight and I was like, ‘dang, this is my first PGA Tour start ever.” Clearly overwhelmed by the stage he had reached on the Thursday of the 2025 RBC Canadian Open, Clanton missed the cut by 2 strokes.

But he made due for his performance in Canada by finishing at T34 at the Travelers Championship. As Luke Clanton searches for his first win at the Detroit Golf Club right now, it will be exciting to see if he can convert his success as an amateur into his PGA Tour career.