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Irish Daily Mirror
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
'I played on the PGA Tour with Rory McIlroy – I didn't get to sleep very much'
Luke Clanton made a solid impression on his professional PGA Tour debut, sharing that hitting the links with Rory McIlroy on his maiden round meant he lost out on sleep due to nerves. By being placed in a group with the likes of McIlroy and Swedish star Ludvig Aberg at the Canadian Open, the 21-year-old proved just how highly he's thought of in the game. Having sharpened his skills at Florida State University and earned his tour card via the PGA Tour University Accelerated programme, Clanton has already caused ripples on the circuit with four amateur top-10s and by clinching second place at the John Deere Classic and the RSM Classic. Post his third year at FSU, Clanton pounced at the chance for a PGA Tour card and embarked on his pro journey at TPC Toronto, where, after shaking off an initial nervous start and three bogeys, he struck an even-par 70, nudging ahead of McIlroy by a single stroke. It was undoubtedly a red-letter day for Clanton, who is no stranger to acclaim, having held the title of world No. 1 amateur. "I don't know if you really call this work," Clanton said when asked about his first round as a pro. "I mean, we play golf for a living, and it's amazing. "What a group we had and what an experience we had. Me and my caddie were having a blast out there, so it was a lot of fun. I hit it really well and putted it really good. Just a few [poor] tee shots here and there, but it was good." He added: "Being paired with Rory is no joke. The crowds are amazing. Watching him hit drivers and iron shots, it's cool. I watched him growing up my whole life, so I guess you could say he's like the Tiger Woods of my life, and it's really cool. "Didn't sleep very much. I was playing with Rory ... I've never experienced anything like that. It was so cool to meet Rory and play with him and be out there with Ludvig as well, two great ball strikers. First pro start with Rory McIlroy, it's definitely a day to remember." Clanton bounced back from his rocky start and impressively recovered. Starting with a remarkable eagle at the 18th hole, a par-five, he then found his footing, securing a birdie at the fifth. As the day progressed, Clanton had opportunities to dip under par but ultimately ended with an even 70. This leaves him tied for 74th, with his position likely to change as the remaining players complete their rounds. "I said to my caddie, the range session, putting, chipping, everything felt fine, even walking up to the first tee, shaking [McIlroy's] hand, everything felt fine," he added. "Once I took that club back, I couldn't feel it. So it was a new experience for sure. It's cool to be thrown in the fire right away, so it's awesome."
Daily Record
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
US golden boy Luke Clanton can take Ludvig Aberg charge to Ryder Cup big stage
Superkid makes pro debut in exactly same place as Swede and can repeat his trick Lightning Luke Clanton is walking exactly the same path as Ludvig Aberg. Now the hotly-discussed topic is whether or not the new golden boy of golf in the United States can emulate the Swede and make a remarkable charge straight to The Ryder Cup. Clanton has teed it up as a professional for the first time at the RBC Canadian Open having earned his card by accruing 20 PGA Tour University Accelerated points between last year's US Open and this year's Cognizant Classic. The 21-year-old had incredible success on the PGA Tour as a college golfer and notched four Top 10 finishes in 2024 which made him the the first amateur since Jack Nicklaus in 1961 with three or more in a year. Clanton is now on the big stage as a fully-fledged pro and already there is talk of forging his way into Keegan Bradley's side for the clash against Europe in September. If that seems unlikely, the template is there with Aberg. The Scandinavian's brilliant college career saw him rocket into the professional ranks and take his first steps exactly two years ago at the Canadian Open, just like Clanton now. And Aberg was in Rome just three months later to assist Europe to success in Rome after captain Luke Donald took a calculated gamble on his brilliance. Clanton now has a pathway to do the same with doors open for spots at this stage in Bradley's side for the New York blockbuster and, ironically, Clanton and Aberg are paired together with Rory McIlroy for the opening two days in Caldeon. The kid is taking it one step at a time and said: 'The expectations are always going to be pretty high for sure. "But I think I have a great team behind me with the process that we have. It's the first start as a pro, so it's a little bit nerve-wracking. "We've handled ourselves really well through my amateur career. And we're going to try to do the same as a pro. 'It's an unbelievable moment. We've been waiting for this moment, for a couple months now. "But I was so focused with the team in college golf and trying to win national championships and trying to play the best I can. It was definitely hard. "But I'm excited to get my pro debut going and see how it goes. But it's just amazing to be here. It's a dream come true to be out here in general to play on the PGA Tour.' Although Clanton finished two shots worse off than Aberg on his first day, he outgunned McIlroy by one with his level-par effort and admits it was a thrill as he stated: 'Being paired with Rory is no joke. "The crowds are amazing. Watching him hit drivers and iron shots, it's cool. "I watched him growing up my whole life, so I guess you could say he's like the Tiger Woods of my life. 'I didn't sleep very much. To meet Rory and play with him and be out there with Ludvig as well, two great ball strikers. "First pro start with Rory McIlroy, it's definitely a day to remember.'
USA Today
27-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Auburn's Jackson Koivun earns PGA Tour card after top-10 finish at NCAA Men's Golf Championship
Auburn's Jackson Koivun earns PGA Tour card after top-10 finish at NCAA Men's Golf Championship Show Caption Hide Caption Drone flyover video of Omni La Costa North Course par-3 16th hole Omni La Costa is hosting the NCAA mens and womens golf championships for a second year in a row. The North Course's 16th hole is the final par-3. CARLSBAD, Calif. — Jackson Koivun has job security down the road. The sophomore at Auburn finished tied for fourth Monday after the stroke-play portion at the 2025 NCAA Men's Golf Championship at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, and in the process he locked up his PGA Tour card via PGA Tour University Accelerated. The top-10 finish gave Koivun his 20th Accelerated point, enough to earn his card. He joins Gordon Sargent and Luke Clanton as the only players to earn their card via Accelerated. Koivun will defer his card until 2026 after his junior season. 'It feels good to go out and earn it by playing some golf, and what better place to do it than when you're surrounded by all your friends and teammates at the national championship,' Koivun said. 'I love Auburn, and I think college golf is in such a good spot right now. I feel like it's going to continually prepare me for the PGA Tour." Koivun's path to the PGA Tour started as a freshman, when he swept all the national postseason awards and helped guide the Tigers to their first national championship in school history. He has also made three cuts over the past year on Tour, coming at the 2024 Memorial Tournament, 2025 Farmers Insurance Open and 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational. This spring, Koivun was again a finalist for the Fred Haskins Award, the Heisman Trophy of college golf, and the Ben Hogan Award. He won his second consecutive SEC individual championship and then won the NCAA Auburn Regional before the T-4 finish at Omni La Costa, that coming on the heels of a T-2 finish at nationals as a freshman. Koivun and the Tigers earned the No. 2 seed in match play, where it will face Virginia in the quarterfinals Tuesday. He wasn't the only player to lock up PGA Tour playing privileges Monday, as North Carolina senior David Ford finished first in the PGA Tour University Class of 2025 rankings to earn his PGA Tour card, too.
USA Today
25-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Why Auburn's Jackson Koivun would wait to turn pro if he earns PGA Tour card Monday
Why Auburn's Jackson Koivun would wait to turn pro if he earns PGA Tour card Monday Show Caption Hide Caption Drone flyover video of Omni La Costa North Course par-4 15th hole Omni La Costa is hosting the NCAA mens and womens golf championships for a second year in a row. The North Course's 15th hole is a challenging par 4. CARLSBAD, Calif. — Jackson Koivun can earn his PGA Tour card on Monday. If he did, he could play on the PGA Tour in two weeks as a full-time member. The sophomore at Auburn sits at 19 points in the PGA Tour University Accelerated, one away from earning a PGA Tour card. The caveat? Koivun is going to lock up that point in the next couple of weeks anyway. When he tees it up at the Arnold Palmer Cup next month at Congaree, he will have his PGA Tour card and be able to take up membership after his junior season. Or, he could finished in the top 10 at the 2025 NCAA Men's Golf Championship on Monday and lock up his card now, giving him the ability to turn pro after the championship, joining Luke Clanton and Gordon Sargent as college players turning pro thanks to PGA Tour U Accelerated. "I've been thinking about it a little bit," Koivun said. "I think it's definitely a little easier on the mind knowing that it's kind of already there, but it would be cool with the top 10 this week to finally get that. It's kind of been weighing on me for a while now, but at the end of the day, I know I'm going to get it and just trying to go play golf and try to represent Auburn." Koivun finished T-2 at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa last year, a fitting end to a dominant freshman campaign that saw him win the Fred Haskins Award, Ben Hogan Award and Jack Nicklaus Award. This year, he has three victories, including his second straight SEC Championship and the NCAA Auburn Regional on his home course. In the fall of 2023, Vanderbilt's Sargent earned his 20th point but deferred turning pro and returned for his senior season. Clanton didn't have a point in Accelerated a year ago but earned his 20th in February, making the cut at his hometown event in Florida. They'll both make their professional debuts in two weeks at the RBC Canadian Open. With a top 10 Sunday, Koivun would earn his card and be able to join Clanton and Sargent, but that's not the plan. "I'll be going back to Auburn," Koivun said Sunday after a 1-under 71 in the third round of the NCAA Championship, where he sits T-7 after the morning wave. The plan was always to return to Auburn, which he helped win its first national championship last year. After three rounds, the Tigers are in first and a virtual lock to make match play, which begins Tuesday. Koivun never wavered even as he racked up points and came close to securing his card. He said he spoke a bit with Clanton and Sargent about the pressure of chasing the card and accomplishing the feat like they did. "The easiest thing to do is just try to put it as far out of your mind as you can," he said. "This game is full of stress, and at the end of the day, anything we can do to take stress off of us and just go play freely is great." Come Monday, there could be a ceremony to celebrate his accomplishment. But his future is on the plains at least one more year, and Koivun and the Tigers' focus the rest of the week is on trying to go back-to-back.
USA Today
20-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Florida State junior Luke Clanton wins 2025 Ben Hogan Award
Florida State junior Luke Clanton wins 2025 Ben Hogan Award Show Caption Hide Caption Drone flyover video of Omni La Costa North Course par-4 15th hole Omni La Costa is hosting the NCAA mens and womens golf championships for a second year in a row. The North Course's 15th hole is a challenging par 4. Florida State junior Luke Clanton won the 2025 Ben Hogan Award, it was announced Monday. The annual award – which honors the top men's college golfer based on collegiate, amateur and professional events over the previous 12 months – was announced Monday at a dinner at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. other finalists included North Carolina senior David Ford and Auburn sophomore Jackson Koivun, who won the Hogan in 2024. Clanton won four times collegiately this season, including last week at the NCAA Tallahassee Regional. His best performances came in PGA Tour events, though, where he has made 10 of 13 cuts in the past year, finishing runner-up twice. Clanton earned his PGA Tour card earlier this year through PGA Tour University Accelerated when he made the cut at his hometown event, the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches. His first start as a pro will be next month at the RBC Canadian Open. Clanton was voted the winner by a selection committee made up of nearly three dozen leaders and experts in college, amateur and professional golf. In addition, all past award winners were eligible to vote in the final round, casting a ballot to rank the three finalists. He is one of 10 finalists for the Haskins Award, which will be announced next Tuesday. The Fred Haskins Award presented by Stifel is given to the Player of the Year in men's college golf.
