With the final event of 2024, a familiar storyline was at play.
An amateur was in contention to win on the PGA Tour again.
This year has been the “Year of the Amateur” of sorts on golf’s highest circuit, with Nick Dunlap becoming the first amateur in 33 years to win on the PGA Tour at the American Express in January. Dunlap turned pro and ultimately won again in July, but by that time, Luke Clanton was already making a name for himself.
The Florida State junior finished in the top 10 in back-to-back starts in July, the first amateur to do that in 66 years.
With non-professionals contending so often this season, it leads to one very interesting conundrum: they are unable to take any prize money.
When Dunlap won again, he had turned professional, so he was able to cash the winner’s check, but Clanton, who is contending once again this week at the RSM Classic in Georgia, is still competing for the Seminoles and thus is playing for free.
“I played great, just made some really dumb mistakes coming down the stretch,” Clanton said after his third-round 68 that left him just three off the lead. “I think that’s just kind of from experience and kind of feeling that pressure again. I think to get myself another opportunity out here to win again is amazing.”
While Clanton finished just one stroke short of another title for an amateur, he’ll take home the same pay share as he did for all of his previous starts: $0.
With that, below is the complete payout breakdown for this week’s RSM Classic. The total purse is $7.2 million.
How much every player made at the 2024 RSM Classic
(Final payouts will be updated upon the conclusion of the final round)
(a) = amateur, does not receive share
1. Maverick McNealy $1,368,000
T2. Nico Echavarria $676,400
Daniel Berger
Luke Clanton (a)
T5. J.T. Poston $319,833.34
Lee Hodges
Mackenzie Hughes
T8. Michael Thorbjornsen $238,766.67
Patrick Fishburn
Vince Whaley
T11. Chandler Phillips $184,300
Joe Highsmith
Kevin Yu
Michael Kim
T15. Ben Griffin $142,500
Eric Cole
T17. Austin Eckroat $104,690
Ryo Hisatsune
Ludvig Aberg
Patrick Rodgers
Robby Shelton
Martin Laird
Henrik Norlander
Stewart Cink
T25. Denny McCarthy $63,460
Bud Cauley
Adrien Dumont de Chassart
Brian Harman
Paul Peterson
T30. Kelly Kraft $49,780
S.Y. Noh
Hayden Springer
Lucas Glover
Will Gordon
T35. Andrew Novak $37,945.71
Mark Hubbard
Taylor Moore
Blake McShea
Joseph Bramlett
Joel Dahmen
Carson Young
T42. Sam Stevens $26,980
Austin Smotherman
Taylor Montgomery
Kevin Tway
Jonathan Byrd
Doug Ghim
S.H. Kim
T49. Callum Tarren $20,292
Brandon Wu
Steven Fisk
52. Martin Trainer $19,076
T53. Adam Schenk $17,925.14
Kevin Chappell
Adam Hadwin
Matt Wallace
Marcus Byrd
Garrick Higgo
Adam Svensson
T60. Harris English $17,024
Davis Thompson
William McGirt
Russell Knox
64. Christo Lamprecht $16,644
65. Philip Knowles $16,492
T66. Tyson Alexander $16,264
Patton Kizzire
T68. Lanto Griffin $15,960
Jake Knapp
