20YO Luke Clanton Steals Fans’ Heart As a ‘Down to Earth’ Confession Makes Him Detroit’s Favorite Over Rickie Fowler

In the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic’s final round, fans will surely be chanting Go Noles! Go Noles! As a University of Florida sophomore, Luke Clanton will take charge. The 20-year-old fired 7 under 65 on the moving day and took the seventh spot on the leaderboard with two other players.

And with this, in just a span of six months, another amateur player might be on his way to win a PGA Tour event. Nick Dunlap won the American Express and eventually turned pro. From fighting against Neal Shipley for US Open Amateur honors a few weeks ago to getting his maiden victory on the PGA Tour, it might be a dream come true for Clanton.

Speaking at the post-round conference, the FSU sophomore shared his thoughts about playing the Rocket Mortgage Classic. He said, “To be out here and even saying I’m in contention to win a PGA Tour event’s pretty nuts. It’s pretty cool, man.” The final round may turn out in favor of Clanton but for now, the fan surely has.

Despite his impressive performance at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, the young golfer remained grounded during his interview. This humility only made the fans showered him with even more praise. With this, Clanton might become the people’s favorite at Detroit GC, replacing the defending champion, Rickie Fowler.

Luke Clanton earns fans love as he chases his PGA Tour win

When Rickie Fowler joined the PGA Tour in 2010, he was nearly the same age as Luke Clanton, although the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic winner was an Oklahoma University golfer and Clanton comes from Florida. Despite the difference, a fan saw a similar humble nature in the amateur pro and recounted those years of Fowler. They said, “Lookin like a young Rickie Fowler.”

Being the fourth-highest-ranked amateur golfer in the world, Clanton has undoubtedly signed a NIL deal. Among his various sponsors, one that takes the place on his hat is the Unione Home Mortgage Company, a rival to Rocket Mortgage. In this hilarious crossover, where Clanton was representing a different company, this user said, “Love that he’s repping union home mortgage company at the rocket mortgage.”

Another fan shared an interesting story about the time when Clanton made his debut at the Junior PLAYERS Championship in 2018. He finished 31 in that year, and after playing two more times, he recorded his best finish in 2019 as he was T19. But this fan’s attention was not on the 20-year-old results at the Jr PLAYERS. It was something hilarious. They recalled, “Walking scored for his group two years in a row at Jr Players. That kid is good! He was 14 wearing taco socks in his first Jr Players! Very down to earth too.”

In the 156 players’ field, where even prominent PGA Tour pros like Tom Kim, Justin Suh, and more missed the cut, Clanton kept his pace to be at the top of the leaderboards. Following the clubhouse leaders Akshay Bhatia and Aaron Rai, a deficit of only three strokes, this fan called Clanton a “Beast,” while another one applauded his happy-go-lucky attitude and said, “Such a stud!”

With only 18 holes to go, Luke Clanton will have the chance of his life to prove his skills and emerge victorious at the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic. However, he would have to surpass six players ahead of him and two who are tied with him.