Again in late January, there have been indicators that Nike Golf was getting ready to stage a comeback. After Tiger Woods’ long-term contract ran its course, questions started swirling in regards to the Swoosh’s endurance within the sport. However when the model made a shock splash on the PGA Present—unveiling an expansive and clearly costly sales space stuffed with attire, sneakers and larger-than-life banners—the golf world took discover.
Certain, Nike retained names like Rory McIloy, Scottie Scheffler, Tony Finau and Nelly Korda. However who would carry the subsequent era? Who may deliver each on-course outcomes and, doubtlessly sooner or later, off-course presence?
That’s the place Luke Clanton enters the image.
The 21-year-old Florida State standout has been a fixture on school leaderboards for the previous few seasons, main FSU by way of deep postseason runs and incomes All-American honors within the course of. With a compact, highly effective swing and an simple maturity about him, Clanton has the talents to execute and the boldness to combine it up with the world’s finest gamers. Final summer season he went on an unprecedented run the place he completed inside the highest 10 at consecutive TOUR occasions, the primary time an beginner had performed that since 1958.
Now he’s prepared to show professional as Nike Golf’s latest signing (with an announcement video as well). And whereas he is probably not a family identify but, the partnership already feels significant. “Like a dream come true,” he stated of placing on the Swoosh for the primary time at late February’s Cognizant Basic.
Weeks earlier than making his PGA TOUR debut on the RBC Canadian Open, Clanton sat down with Hypegolf to speak in regards to the second and what it means to step into the subsequent chapter.
How has it been over the past yr or two balancing your journey by way of professional tournaments, school golf and teachers?
Yeah, I imply, I’ll be sincere I used to be sort of simply going with it because it got here. It was undoubtedly new to me. Initially, we thought I’d have one PGA TOUR begin after profitable the Valspar Collegiate to get into Valspar the subsequent yr. Then, abruptly, I had 12 begins earlier than that. So it sort of occurred in a blur. Fortunately, the educational employees, teaching employees and everybody at FSU had been an enormous assist. I used to be a bit misplaced in all of it, however I had a fantastic workforce behind me. Whether or not it was being away for per week and a half or leaping straight into a university occasion, the coaches made positive I used to be proper—bodily and mentally.
At the start, I wasn’t even fascinated about a TOUR card. I simply thought it could be cool to play in some PGA TOUR occasions. Then my agent got here to me—I feel I had 4 factors on the time—and stated we had a platform to really get the cardboard. I sort of laughed like, “Nicely, we want 20.” And he goes, “Yeah, we will try this.” So we began checking off bins. By the autumn, round RSM [Classic], I had my first actual second the place I used to be like, “Rattling, I can really contend in these occasions.” Getting the cardboard at Cognizant, particularly being so near the place I grew up, was simply an unbelievable journey.
So whereas the cardboard wasn’t a part of the preliminary plan, did you all the time see skilled golf in your future—even when the trail was unsure?
At first of my sophomore spring, I had just one school win and I used to be prime 20 on the earth, which was nice—however my objective was simply to play the very best golf I may. Then I gained three school occasions in a row that spring, and that boosted my confidence. I felt like my sport was getting the place I needed it.
However after dropping Nationals [NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship] the way in which we did, I used to be crushed. The subsequent week, I had U.S. Open qualifying. I keep in mind my mother driving me there, and I used to be nonetheless so down about Nationals. She checked out me and stated, “You gotta focus up. You’ve bought three large issues coming.” I ended up qualifying, and my first thought was, “Holy crap, I’m in a serious.” Then I shot 6-over within the first spherical. I assumed I used to be performed. Got here again with a 1-under, made the reduce, then shot one other 1-under. Immediately, I had an opportunity to win low beginner. I missed a five-footer on 18 to tie for it, so I used to be again to being disenchanted. However the emotional rollercoaster of that week taught me lots about expectations.
Similar factor at John Deere [Classic] and Rocket Mortgage [Classic]. I used to be contending, then pissed off to not win. However six months earlier, I’d have been thrilled simply to play. Every week taught me extra, and by my final begin at Valspar, I felt like, “I can win this.” I’m simply making an attempt to maintain expectations in test whereas constructing confidence.
After these large event moments, did you’re feeling a shift in the way you had been seen by your school teammates whenever you returned to campus?
Not one bit, and that was the good factor. After I got here again after the summer season, the primary day of sophistication, all the blokes had been there, and nothing had modified. Now we have a rule: irrespective of for those who’re a freshman or a senior, we deal with everybody the identical. That workforce chemistry has been so essential for me. It retains me grounded. They had been clearly curious and requested how issues went, however we had been all nonetheless competing, all nonetheless making an attempt to achieve the identical objective.
You’re with Nike now, however up to now you had the Good Good emblem in your gear. You appear fairly tuned in to the creator neighborhood in golf. How a lot do you observe that area, and has it influenced you whether or not in mindset or social media?
Humorous sufficient, after I was 16, I DMed Garrett [Clarke] from Good Good—again when he was nonetheless GM Golf and had possibly 100k followers—simply saying, “Hey, need to play 18 holes?” He replied, stated he was in Miami, and we performed. A pair months later, the entire Good Good crew got here out to my house course, and I bought to know them very well.
I stayed in contact with Garrett and began studying about what they had been doing creatively with YouTube. I feel what they’ve performed to develop the sport is absolutely spectacular. Lots of people who don’t watch the PGA TOUR are nonetheless watching golf on YouTube due to them. They’ve grow to be an enormous enterprise, doing charity occasions and extra. Garrett helped me perceive social media, helped enhance my profile, and I’m actually grateful for that. Taking part in in entrance of a digital camera is tough. It’s a complete completely different factor. So having that have early was tremendous helpful.
And inform me in regards to the Nike partnership. How did that come about, and the way does it really feel to get to put on the Swoosh?
I imply, yeah—simply having the dignity to put on the Swoosh has sort of been my dream rising up. You consider all the highest gamers, all the highest athletes on the earth and so they put on Nike. So when the chance got here, it was unimaginable. I advised my agent instantly, “I’m in.”
The primary time I ever wore it was on the Cognizant Basic, and I keep in mind placing it on that Thursday morning and pondering, man, it is a dream come true. Like, not solely do I’ve an opportunity to earn my card, however I additionally get to put on Nike. I keep in mind speaking to my caddie that morning and simply saying how grateful I used to be for every part that’s occurred in my life to even get to that time. It’s actually unimaginable to be part of it.
Ben Jared/Getty Pictures
Have you ever gotten so far as fascinated about what you’re going to put on at sure moments? Is that one thing you’re trying to participate in?
A little bit bit, yeah. I’m undoubtedly excited to see what Nike has coming sooner or later. I’ve really by no means been an enormous style man, which is humorous to say now. However as soon as I bought signed and so they began sending me some gear, I used to be like, rattling, that is actually cool.
Now I’m studying each step of the way in which. Rising up, we didn’t have a lot of that sort of stuff, so even simply getting a pleasant pair of sneakers or something from the Nike retailer is unimaginable. I’m simply excited to maintain seeing what’s subsequent with them.
After which constructing as much as your first professional begin in early June—simply broadly, how are you feeling about it? What are you most trying ahead to?
I haven’t thought of it an excessive amount of, actually, simply due to every part happening with the faculty season. We’ve nonetheless bought Regionals and Nationals arising. It does creep into your thoughts generally, like whenever you’re watching the PGA TOUR on TV and also you see these guys on the market. You need to be on the market too.
However proper now, my one objective in school is to win a nationwide championship with this workforce. We’ve been so rattling shut twice now. I’m tremendous pumped for that first begin at RBC, I actually am, but it surely’s laborious to not keep locked in on Nationals.
As soon as that final putt drops and hopefully we’re holding that trophy, that’s after I’ll actually begin fascinated about the subsequent chapter. Till then, it’s all about having fun with each second I’ve bought left right here. As a result of I’ve bought lower than a month left on campus, and we’re making an attempt to soak all of it in.
