Florida State junior Luke Clanton found himself in a do-or-die situation at the WM Phoenix Open, with his PGA Tour card on the line through PGA Tour University’s Accelerated program. Five shots behind the projected cut line and with just eight holes left to play, Clanton needed something special to keep his dreams alive. And he delivered. Birding four of the next seven holes, he gave himself a shot at the par-4 18th, where everything would come down to one final, crucial putt.

A birdie or better would give Clanton his 20th Accelerated point, locking up a PGA Tour membership by the summer after the NCAA Championship. But a par or worse would leave his card chase on hold for weeks. On the 18th tee, he hammered a 345-yard drive, setting up a perfect angle into the front-left flag, just 104 yards away. With adrenaline pumping, Clanton’s wedge shot sailed about 20 feet past the hole, leaving him with a nail-biting putt.

Taking his time, Clanton spent nearly a minute and a half lining up what could be the most consequential putt of his life. But when he struck the ball, it veered too far left, missing the hole by inches. In that moment, Clanton’s PGA Tour dreams were put on pause, leaving him to wonder what might have been. And that too for just one stroke. He was paired with Justin Thomas and Nick Dunlap. The other two made it to the weekend rounds. But of course, when they saw Clanton cover his face with his hands out of regret, they went to console him.

When asked about the conversation that they had at the post-round presser, Justin Thomas said, “I just told him to keep his head up and he’s a hell of a player. He’s going to play out here for a long time. It’s hard to say at the moment because it’s obviously really bummed and he fought hard, and I enjoyed playing with him. I made sure to remind him that I hit it past him on 18 there for the first time, and maybe ever. But he’s a great player. He’s not only going to play out here a long time, he’s going to win out here, and it’s just a matter of time kind of thing.”

Well, Justin Thomas would indeed know better. After all, pretty much like Luke Clanton, even his second Major win depended entirely on his eighteenth hole. The only difference – Luke Clanton aimed just to make the cut, and JT relied on it for his trophy.

Justin Thomas’s exceptional approach game

Justin Thomas’s second Major win came at the 2022 PGA Championship, and that too because of his shot on the eighteenth hole. He bagged back-to-back 67s in the first two rounds, but his third round dropped down to a disappointing 74. He went off the pace. However, on Sunday, he carded a birdie in the ninth hole and turned his score into an even par. He went on to make consecutive birdies on the eleventh and twelfth holes and got close to Mito Pereira, who was in the lead.

After sinking a birdie on the par-4 17th hole, Thomas found himself just one shot off the lead. Pereira had a chance to match him, but his birdie attempt on the 17th just missed. Things went from bad to worse on the par-4 18th, where he made a double bogey, finishing one stroke behind Thomas and Zalatoris. That was when Justin Thomas seized the opportunity. JT and Zalatoris were headed for a playoff, where both of them carded a birdie on the thirteenth hole. JT made a two-putt birdie on the seventeenth, and the moment defining his shot ended with an even par on the eighteenth hole. But the outcome was good for him, unlike Clanton.

When asked about the feeling of that last hole, and what he would like to tell Clanton about it, he said, “It’s like anything. He’ll be able to learn from this just like I’ve learned from it and other guys have learned from it. It is, it’s the hardest part I think about 16 is you have so much adrenaline, you’re so jacked up and you have to hit a really precise short iron in there with a lot of control, and you just want to hit a driver as hard as you can. He knows what he’s doing. He’s been in some big moments and that’s the fun part of where he’s at. Each stage is something bigger and bigger, to be trying to win a golf tournament and then trying to win a major, and so on. I look forward to playing against him for a long time.”

Well, there is no doubt that Luke Clanton will be back with another exemption soon. And who knows, maybe his next appearance will finally grab him the Tour card? What are your thoughts on the young golfer? Let us know in the comments section below!