PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida – Luke Clanton, a junior at Florida State and the No. 1-ranked amateur in the world, became the second player to earn PGA TOUR membership via PGA TOUR University Accelerated on Friday, as the 21-year-old secured TOURBound status through a made cut at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches to reach the 20-point threshold in PGA TOUR University Accelerated.
Following the conclusion of stroke play at the 2025 NCAA D-I National Championship (May 23-26), Clanton will become eligible to accept PGA TOUR membership upon turning professional. If he turns pro after the conclusion of his junior season, Clanton would be eligible for open, full-field events for the remainder of the 2025 season, including the FedExCup Fall, and he also would be a PGA TOUR member for the 2026 season (subject to reshuffles). If he chooses to remain amateur, he would be eligible to accept membership upon the conclusion of his senior season after the 2026 NCAA Championship.
Clanton’s rapid ascent began with a dominant run on the collegiate circuit, as the then-sophomore captured a breakthrough victory at the Seminole Intercollegiate in March 2024. He carried that momentum forward, capturing titles at the Valspar Collegiate Invitational and the Lewis Chitengwa Memorial, closing the regular season with three consecutive wins and cementing his place in Florida State history as the first Seminole to achieve the feat.
Following a runner-up finish at the NCAA D-I Men’s Golf Championship, Clanton made his PGA TOUR debut at the 2024 U.S. Open, where he earned his first point in PGA TOUR University Accelerated. The major championship marked Clanton’s first of eight TOUR starts during the 2024 season, seven of which produced made cuts, including four top-10s and two runner-up finishes.
Clanton collected 17 points from June to November, marking the fastest accumulation of points in the program to date. In addition to earning 14 points through his play in PGA TOUR events, he also earned a total of six points by achieving the No. 1 ranking in the World Amateur Golf Ranking – five points for reaching the No. 1 spot on August 14, 2024, and an additional point for holding that position for 26 weeks, which was achieved on Wednesday, February 5, 2025.
The Hialeah, Florida, native clinched the requisite 20th point following a made cut in his 11th start on the PGA TOUR at the 2025 Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches this week, and he solidified himself as the second player to earn PGA TOUR membership via PGA TOUR University Accelerated.
| Date | Achievement | Points Earned |
| June 13, 2024 | Major start (U.S. Open) | 1 |
| June 14, 2024 | Major made cut (T41, U.S. Open) | 1 |
| June 28, 2024 | PGA TOUR made cut (Rocket Classic) | 1 |
| June 30, 2024 | PGA TOUR top-10 (T10, Rocket Classic) | 1 |
| July 5, 2024 | PGA TOUR made cut (John Deere Classic) | 1 |
| July 7, 2024 | PGA TOUR top-10 (T2, John Deere Classic) | 1 |
| July 12, 2024 | PGA TOUR made cut (T37, ISCO Championship) | 1 |
| August 9, 2024 | PGA TOUR made cut (Wyndham Championship) | 1 |
| August 11, 2024 | PGA TOUR top-10 (5th, Wyndham Championship) | 1 |
| August 14, 2024 | Achieves No. 1 ranking in WAGR | 5 |
| September 13, 2024 | PGA TOUR made cut (T50, Procore Championship) | 1 |
| November 22, 2024 | PGA TOUR made cut (RSM Classic) | 1 |
| November 24, 2024 | PGA TOUR top-10 (T2, RSM Classic) | 1 |
| January 23, 2025 | PGA TOUR made cut (T15, Farmers Insurance Open) | 1 |
| February 5, 2025 | Lifetime 26 weeks as WAGR No. 1 | 1 |
| February 28, 2025 | PGA TOUR made cut (Cognizant Classic) | 1 |
The PGA TOUR University Accelerated program was announced in November 2022 as a way for high-achieving underclassmen – juniors, sophomores or freshmen – to earn PGA TOUR membership. Players earn points based on their accomplishments in college, amateur and professional golf. If a player earns at least 20 points by the end of their third year of NCAA eligibility, they become eligible for TOUR membership.
Vanderbilt standout Gordon Sargent was declared TOURBound in October 2023, becoming the first player to earn PGA TOUR membership via PGA TOUR University Accelerated. Sargent elected to return to Vanderbilt for his senior season, deferring his performance benefits from eclipsing the PGA TOUR University Accelerated 20-point threshold. Upon turning professional in June 2025, Sargent will have TOUR membership through the 2026 season.
PGA TOUR University Accelerated complements the PGA TOUR University Ranking, which annually provides the top 25 seniors with membership opportunities on PGA TOUR-affiliated tours. Clanton’s PGA TOUR University Accelerated performance benefits closely resemble those earned by the No. 1 player in the final PGA TOUR University Ranking.
In May 2023, Texas Tech’s Ludvig Åberg finished atop the PGA TOUR University Ranking and became the first player to earn PGA TOUR membership via PGA TOUR University. Stanford’s Michael Thorbjornsen clinched the top spot in the PGA TOUR University Class of 2024, joining Åberg as the first two PGA TOUR University alumni to earn direct access to the PGA TOUR.
About PGA TOUR University
Introduced in 2020, PGA TOUR University identifies the best players in collegiate golf and provides membership opportunities on PGA TOUR-affiliated tours. PGA TOUR University alumni have won 31 professional events, and 17 alumni earned their PGA TOUR cards for the 2025 season.
In partnership with the World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®), PGA TOUR University ranks players based on the last two years of their collegiate careers. Eligible Tournaments include NCAA Division-I men’s team competitions, official PGA TOUR tournaments and select DP World Tour events. The Ranking Period for the Class of 2025 began Week 23/2023 and concludes May 26, 2025, following the final round of stroke play at the NCAA D-I Men’s National Championship.
Upon the conclusion of the collegiate golf season, the No. 1 player in the final PGA TOUR University Ranking earns PGA TOUR membership. Players Nos. 2-10 (fully exempt) earn Korn Ferry Tour membership, and players finishing 11th through 25th earn exempt membership on PGA TOUR Americas. Additionally, a junior or senior who wins the Division-II Jack Nicklaus Award (National Player of the Year) will earn exempt membership on PGA TOUR Americas upon the conclusion of his collegiate career.
For more information, visit pgatour.com/university and follow PGA TOUR University on X and Instagram (@PGATOURU).
Contact:
Chris Richards, PGA TOUR
chrisrichards@pgatourhq.com
Taylor Caradonna, PGA TOUR
taylorcaradonna@pgatourhq.com