Luke Clanton is at it again.
The Florida State junior is playing in his eighth PGA Tour event in 2024 and once again, he’s hanging around the top 10 of the leaderboard after the second round of the RSM Classic on Friday at the Sea Island Golf Club.
It’s been an amazing year for the No. 1-ranked man in the World Amateur Golfer Ranking and he’s within striking distance of joining Nick Dunlap as amateurs to win a PGA Tour event this year. Clanton’s 65 at the Plantation Course lifted him into a tie for fourth at 9-under-par 133, two shots off the lead.
Clanton has already finished among the top 10 three times this season and has made seven cuts.
Meanwhile, there are other golfers seeking their first Tour victory at the season-ending event of FedEx Cup Fall. Also in the top 10 heading into the weekend are two guys who have already won during this FedEx Cup Series Fall schedule.
Patrick Fishburn leads the way
While a slew of players this week are vying for status on the PGA Tour for 2025, Patrick Fishburn isn’t one of them. What he is, though, is someone hungry for some signature events.
Fishburn was safe for the top 125 at No. 87 but the projected standings after 36 holes have him up 31 spots, which vaults him into the top 60, which means a spot in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational. A win this week means not only his first but a spot in a third signature event in 2025, the season-opening Sentry event in Hawaii.
A career-low nine of 30 on the Plantation Course and 64 for the day can only help the cause for this 32-year-old rookie who played college golf at BYU, who is 11-under-pr 131.
“Rookie season, everything’s new to me, so I’m getting more comfortable with the way the courses are and how the setups are,” he said Friday. “I feel like my game historically, I’ve started off really slow and then kind of gets better as the season goes on, so a little bit of that. But just the ball-striking’s been pretty consistent, starting to putt it a little more consistent. The game’s in a good spot right now.”
Maverick McNealy, Lee Hodges a shot behind
Sitting a shot back is the duo of Maverick McNealy and Lee Hodges. Like Fishburn, McNealy is seeking his first win. Hodges is looking for win No. 2.
Both guys are solid on their status for 2025, with McNealy in the 51st spot and Hodges 66th.
McNealy shot 8-under 62 on the Seaside course Thursday but shot 2-under 70 Friday. Wind has been a storyline this week, which is nothing new for the regulars at the Fall series events.
“It’s been a really windy fall. We had 40-mile-an-hour winds at Shriners and then we go Bermuda, hats were flying off, and even Cabo we had some crazy windy days,” he said. “It will be fun to see those greens get quick and I think that plays into my strengths where there’s a little bit less guesswork and a little more touch and skill in the putting and that’s what I pride myself on. Hopefully, we can see that ball fly a little bit higher and get adjusted for that.”
As for Hodges, the 2023 3M Open champion, he also played the Plantation course Friday but went low, in the form of a 9-under 63. Eight birdies and an eagle (and just one bogey) will do that.
Luke Clanton on a path to Tour
In May, Michael Thorbjornsen finished No. 1 in the PGA Tour U standings, which meant an immediate promotion to the big leagues. Luke Clanton is on the fast track to duplicate that. He earned another point in that quest by making the RSM cut.
Both golfers are at 9 under after 36 holes, two shots off the lead. Clanton shot a 65 on the Plantation course after playing Friday alongside defending RSM champion Ludvig Aberg, who lives in Tallahassee, home of Clanton’s Florida State squad.
“I never actually played with him in Tally,” he said, “we were too busy practicing with the team. But playing with him, it’s pretty awesome to watch. We were kind of fanboying a little bit over the last couple rounds. It’s kind of surreal, I know he’s a really good dude, but to kind of be playing with him and to see what he’s done over the last couple years is pretty inspirational.”
Aberg had some nice things to say about Clanton’s game.
“It seems like he’s got all the tools. It seems like he’s playing very smart golf. I don’t see him making some mistakes that some other guys do. I see him as a mature golfer and I’m not surprised that he’s playing this well,” Aberg said.
Michael Thorbjornsen on track
Michael Thorbjornsen is a leading contender for PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. He’s also contending for his first win this week. He shot a second-round 2-under 69, his scorecard featuring four birdies and three bogeys. Still, he’s within striking distance.
“I feel good, yeah. Get to play more golf, that’s always great,” Thorbjornsen said. “Seaside I feel like is an unbelievable golf course, really have to play well and play smart out there and it’s going to play different every single day depending on wind direction and how much it’s blowing.”
What’s also big for Thorbjornsen is his climb of 19 spots from outside the top 125 (138) to inside (119). Looking at the long view, if he were to come up short of victory, he could still very well lock up playing privileges for his sophomore campaign.
“I’m not thinking about it at all, I’m just trying to play some good golf this weekend,” he said.
Ludvig Aberg is not out of it yet
A year ago, Ludvig Aberg won the RSM Classic in his 11th professional start and he tied the PGA Tour’s 72-hole low scoring mark of 29-under 253.
Coming into his title defense, Aberg hadn’t played in three months due to injury. It looks like he had to shake off some rust with an opening-round 73 but he was nine shots better Friday with a 64, a round that started on No. 10 and closed birdie-birdie-eagle-par.
He was asked after his round about any lingering knee pain.
“No, no, it’s great. It’s been feeling nice now for a couple weeks and really excited to be back playing,” he said.
Aberg is 16th in the FedEx Cup points.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Florida State junior Luke Clanton once again in the mix at PGA Tour event
