How Much Prize Money Luke Clanton Has Missed Out On
College golfer Luke Clanton has produced some incredible performances in professional events – but thanks to his amateur status, he hasn’t received prize money


Luke Clanton has been one of the standout players in professional events over the past year, despite still being an amateur and yet to earn his PGA Tour card.
The Florida State University player came to prominence at the US Open last June - his first appearance in a professional tournament - after he made it through final qualifying at The Bear's Club to reach the Major.
He took full advantage of his opportunity, finishing tied for 41st at Pinehurst No.2 in a group of players including World No.1 Scottie Scheffler.
That inevitably opened the door for further opportunities to prove himself in professional events, starting with the Rocket Mortgage Classic two weeks later, where he finished T10.
Since then, several more PGA Tour appearances have come Clanton's way, and he has largely continued to impress, including finishes of T2 at the John Deere Classic and RSM Classic. However, while those brilliant performances would typically result in significant prize money, as an amateur, Clanton, whose latest PGA Tour appearance comes in the Cognizant Classic, hasn’t seen a penny of it. So, how much has he missed out on so far?
Luke Clanton finished runner-up twice on the PGA Tour in 2024
The 2024 US Open offered more prize money than any other Major in history, with Bryson DeChambeau winning the $4.3m first prize from its $21.5m purse, but there was still plenty to go around further down the leaderboard.
Clanton finished in a nine-way tie for 41st at Pinehurst No.2, but because amateurs are not eligible for prize money, those finishing in the same position split the earnings allocated for an eight-way tie - $68,149 each. Had Clanton been eligible for a payout, he and the others would have claimed a still eye-catching $66,348.
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Any thoughts that Clanton’s heroics in one of the most difficult tests in golf would be a one-off were dispelled two weeks later in the Rocket Mortgage Classic, where he finished T10, which would have earned him $199,442.86.
It got even better for Clanton at the John Deere Classic in July, where he threatened to become the second amateur to win a PGA Tour event that year after Nick Dunlap’s heroics in The American Express, before finishing T2 behind Davis Thompson. Once again, Clanton didn’t receive payment for his finish, but if he had, it would have boosted his bank balance by a further $605,333.33.
Luke Clanton finished T2 at the John Deere Classic, but it didn't give him any prize money
His good form continued with a T37 at the ISCO Championship, before he a missed cut at the 3M Open. However, he bounced back with fifth at the Wyndham Championship, where he again gained plaudits but not the $323,900 that would have pushed his earnings past $1m.
Clanton followed that with a T50 finish at the Procore Championship, which would have earned him $14,475, before another brilliant display, this time at the RSM Classic, saw him finish runner-up only to miss out on the $575,066.99 prize money.
Into 2025, and, following a missed cut at the Sony Open in Hawaii, he bounced back with T15 at Torrey Pines in the Farmers Insurance Open, albeit without collecting a check for $128,433, before the World No.1 amateur agonizingly missed out on his PGA Tour card by just one shot with another missed cut in the WM Phoenix Open.
Despite missing out on a PGA Tour card at the WM Phoenix Open, a lucrative career in the professional game seems assured for Clanton
Overall, had Clanton been a professional, those performances would have warranted total prize money of $1,929,999.18, but despite not yet reaping the direct financial rewards of his performances, the future still looks incredibly bright for the 21-year-old.
Another strong display at the Cognizant Classic will finally earn him the PGA Tour card he came so close to at TPC Scottsdale, while he heads into the tournament fresh from signing a deal with Nike Golf as the door to a glittering professional career – and the huge sums of money he can expect to earn – opens wider by the day.
Luke Clanton's Pro Events - And What He Would Have Won
Event | Position | Prize Money If Eligible |
US Open | T41 | $66,348 |
Rocket Mortgage Classic | T10 | $199,442.86 |
John Deere Classic | T2 | $605,333.33 |
ISCO Championship | T37 | $17,000 |
3M Open | MC | N/A |
Wyndham Championship | 5th | $323,900 |
Procore Championship | T50 | $14,475 |
RSM Classic | T2 | $575,066.99 |
Sony Open in Hawaii | MC | N/A |
Farmers Insurance Open | T15 | $128,433 |
WM Phoenix Open | MC | N/A |
TOTAL | Row 12 - Cell 1 | $1,929,999.18 |
Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.
He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.
Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.
Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.
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