Luke Clanton, the top-ranked amateur in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, can earn his PGA Tour card on Saturday at the Farmers Insurance Open -- and he doesn't have to win to do it.
A top-five finish at Torrey Pines will be enough for Clanton to earn a PGA Tour card through what's known as PGA Tour University Accelerated.
Clanton participates in PGA Tour University Accelerated, aprogram designed to help top-tier amateur players earn a PGA Tour card through their occasional play in PGA Tour events, as well as results in collegiate and amateur golf.
With a top-five finish at Torrey Pines, Clanton will have earned three points on the week: one for making the cut, another for finishing in the top 10 and a third for finishing in the top five. If an amateur has earned 20 PGA Tour U Accelerated points before the end of their third year of NCAA eligibility, they earn a PGA Tour card on the spot. Vanderbilt University product Gordon Sargent has already a PGA Tour card through the program, though he has deferred it.
Clanton has earned points through other categories under PGA Tour University Accelerated, as has Jackson Koivun, who also has 18 points and made the cut at Torrey Pines.
Here's the full listing of ways to earn points:
Major college golf awards
- 3 points - Haskins Award, Hogan Award, NCAA Division I Nicklaus Award
- 2 points - NCAA Division I Outstanding Freshman Award
Career-best rank in World Amateur Golf Ranking
- 5 points - No. 1
- 4 points - No. 2
- 3 points - No. 3
- 2 points - No. 4
- 1 point - No. 5
- 1 point – Spend at least 26 weeks lifetime at world No. 1
- 1 point – Spend at least 52 weeks lifetime at world No. 1
Collegiate and amateur performance
- 2 points per win - NCAA Divison I Individual, U.S. Amateur, The Amateur
- 1 point per win - Western Amateur, Jones Cup, Northeast Amateur, Southern Amateur, European Amateur, Latin America Amateur, Asia-Pacific Amateur, African Amateur
- 1 point – Finish in the top 10 and ties
National team competition participation
- 2 points - Walker Cup
- 1 point - Palmer Cup, World Amateur Team Championships
Finishes in official PGA Tour events and major championships
- 1 point - Made cut in official PGA Tour event or select DP World Tour events
- 1 point - Top-10 finish in an official PGA Tour event or select DP World Tour events
- 1 point - Top-5 finish in an official PGA Tour event or select DP World Tour events
- 1 point - Compete in a major championship
- 1 point - Made cut in a major championship
- 2 points - Top-20 finish in a major championship
So far, Clanton has earned 18 points:
- 5 points for being world No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking
- 7 points for making cuts in official PGA Tour events (2025 Farmers Insurance Open, 2024 The RSM Classic, 2024 Procore Championship, 2024 Wyndham Championship, 2024 ISCO Championship, 2024 John Deere Classic, 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic)
- 4 points for top-10 finishes in official PGA Tour events (2024 The RSM Classic, 2024 Wyndham Championship, 2024 John Deere Classic, 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic)
- 1 point for a major championship start (2024 US Open)
- 1 point for a major championship made cut (2024 US Open)
