‘My time will come:’ Luke Clanton’s electric cutline charge reminder of what makes golf special

Luke Clanton’s hands immediately covered his face.

The world’s top-ranked amateur had just emptied the tank during the final eight holes of his second round at the WM Phoenix Open. Clanton entered the week needing to make the cut to earn his 20th PGA Tour University Accelerated point and earn his PGA Tour card.

On Friday, the 21-year-old Florida State junior reached his eleventh hole five shots off the projected cutline before mounting an electric cutline charge to secure his PGA Tour future.

After bogeying No. 10, Clanton poured in a 28-footer for birdie at 11 and then nearly holed an eagle chip at the par-5 13th. Clanton had a tremendous look at eagle at the par-5 15th, but his 30-foot, 6-inch eagle putt stalled out a half-inch short. Clanton saved par with a nice up-and-down at No. 16 and then made easy work of the drivable par-4 17th for a birdie that got him to within one of the cut line.

Clanton’s run transformed what could have been a sleepy tour Friday into a must-see 90 minutes as he mounted a furious charge toward his Tour card.

He hammered his drive 345 yards to give himself a great angle to go at the front left pin. Just 104 yards away, Clanton flew his approach shot 20 feet past the flag. He stalked his cut-making putt for quite some time before finally lining it up and confidentially rolling it toward his destiny.

But Clanton’s putt was too far left, and the ball slid past the whole, postponing the No. 1 amateur’s professional arrival.

After the round, Justin Thomas approached Clanton and offered some advice for the amateur to lean on.

“You’re going to win a bunch out here,” Thomas said. “Don’t worry. Keep your head up.”

Clanton offered some perspective after the round, understanding that he will reach his goals — Friday just wasn’t his time.

“It sucks, for sure. I’m not going to lie,” Clanton told Golf Channel after the round. “I kind of kept trying to tell myself that my identity is not going to change, no matter if I make the cut or miss the cut. It’s golf. It’s not going to go your way all the time. We put up a great fight: me and my caddie.

“Again, it’s just not my time. My time will come. I’m excited for that.”

Clanton will have more opportunities to earn his 20th PGA Tour University Accelerated point before his time runs out at the end of the semester. He is currently in the Valspar Championship and has three other sponsor exemptions he could use. A made cut at the Valspar or another tournament would secure that elusive final point. Clanton is also a heavy favorite to win the Hogan Award. The Hogan Award is given to the top collegiate player since last year’s NCAA championships. It takes in all levels of play during that time. A Hogan Award win is worth three PGA Tour University Accelerated points.

Clanton’s cutline run was a brief reminder of some things the PGA Tour is getting right even while it stumbles through a period of uncertainty.

Firstly, having a cut matters, and the emotion Clanton displayed on his charge to play the weekend reminded us that Friday coverage should focus more on the cutline. Too often, we get bogged down in the zero-sum nature of wins and losses. Golf has always been about more than that. Cuts matter because two more days mean another paycheck, another opportunity for points to keep your card, and, in Clanton’s case, the realization of a lifelong dream.

Clanton’s Friday fireworks also shined a spotlight on the PGA Tour’s decision to revamp the pathway program to get young stars to the tour quicker than before. PGA Tour University Accelerated got Ludvig Aberg his card and Vanderbilt’s Gordon Sargent will arrive next year. Clanton, Auburn’s Jackson Koivun, and others should follow suit. There’s an influx of young talent on the way, and the PGA Tour should benefit in a way it previously didn’t before the advent of the accelerated path.

Finally, over the past few years, there has been much discussion about sponsor exemptions in tournaments, specifically about who gets them and why.

The WM Phoenix Open has always done a good job of giving spots to rising young stars at the amateur level, and Clanton’s spot in this week’s event was the latest example of a tournament doling out a coveted spot to a budding young star whose exposure will be good for the game.

Clanton captivated a golfing audience Friday afternoon, offering a reminder that what draws so many to golf is not the final posting on the leaderboard come Sunday. It’s about the mental examination the game puts you through and what you learn about yourself in the process.

“It was a great day today,” Clanton said. “I had a blast. I put up a great fight. I had to make five birdies in my last eight holes and put four up and had a great chance on 18. It’s tough. It’s hard to take. But again, I’m going to walk in my faith and keep understanding that it’s not my time.

“Again, I’m not stressed out, man,” Clanton said with a smile after his near miss. “My time will come.”