Rising amateur star Luke Clanton has just landed a major endorsement deal with Nike Golf, marking another milestone in what’s already been an incredible journey for the 21-year-old Florida State junior.
Clanton shared the news in a touching Instagram video that traces his golf story from his earliest days. The clip shows him as a baby, then follows his growth through the sport, including a sweet moment where he mimics Payne Stewart’s famous fist pump at Pinehurst No.2.
That same course would later become the site of Clanton’s breakout moment, when he finished T41 at the 2024 U.S. Open.
But that was just the beginning.
In a feat that hadn’t been seen in 66 years, Clanton became the first amateur to land back-to-back top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour. He grabbed T10 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and nearly won the John Deere Classic, finishing second to Davis Thompson.
The hits kept coming. A fifth-place showing at the Wyndham Championship. Another runner-up at the RSM Classic. Before anyone knew it, this college kid had cracked the top 100 in the world rankings.
2024 started with even more drama. At February’s WM Phoenix Open, Clanton came agonizingly close to earning his PGA Tour card through the PGA Tour University Accelerated program. He needed just one more point – which a made cut would have given him. On the final hole, needing a birdie to make the weekend, his putt slipped just past the cup.
The Nike deal puts Clanton in elite company. He joins a roster that includes some of golf’s biggest names – Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Tommy Fleetwood, and Nelly Korda. And of course, there’s Tiger Woods, who spent 27 years with Nike after signing with them as a fresh-faced pro in 1996.
While it’s way too early to compare Clanton to these legends, his knack for showing up in big moments suggests he’s got what it takes to make his mark in professional golf.
The only real question now seems to be when – not if – he’ll get that Tour card and turn pro. Based on what we’ve seen so far, Nike’s bet on this young talent looks like a smart one.
