Luke Clanton Pursues PGA Tour Dream at Cognizant Classic

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Luke Clanton, a junior at Florida State University, is set to compete at the Cognizant Classic from February 27 to March 2 at the PGA National Golf Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Currently ranked 93rd in the Official World Golf Rankings, Clanton is vying for his PGA Tour card through the PGA Tour University Accelerated program.

This week, Clanton returns to the PGA Tour on a sponsor exemption after achieving notable results in previous events, including a T2 finish at the 2024 John Deere Classic and a T15 at the recent 2025 Farmers Insurance Open. “To future me, I would say, keep taking it slow,” Clanton expressed in an Instagram video. “Now, it’s time to go all in. Time to dream bigger. Push harder,” he added.

Clanton has recently partnered with Nike, which has prompted changes to both his apparel and equipment. He will be using a Nike staff bag for the tournament. At the 2025 Cognizant Classic, Clanton’s equipment includes a Titleist TSR2 driver, TaylorMade BRNR mini driver, TaylorMade P760 long irons, and a Scotty Cameron Tour-Only T9 putter, which he described as feeling “great” during practice.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Clanton noted his approach to equipment is to trust the fitting process to experts. “I can’t tell you what my loft/lie is or my degree or whatever it could be,” Clanton stated. “I leave it up to the people I trust. I try not to overcomplicate things with golf because it’s already complicated enough.”

In a serendipitous moment at the Farmers Insurance Open, Clanton found a Scotty Cameron putter that he decided to test and has since put into play, resulting in improved performance. “I said, ‘That’s not too bad,’ and I kept it in,” he recalled.

Although Clanton remains committed to his TaylorMade P760 long irons, he has secured a backup set, which his caddie found after years of searching. “It’s pretty cool to know that I don’t have to stress out about traveling with them, so my caddie can bring like one little gift for every event,” Clanton shared.

Clanton will tee off for his first round on Thursday morning at 7:07 a.m. ET, paired with former Seminole Daniel Berger, who has performed consistently this season. Berger finished the Waste Management Phoenix Open in second place, demonstrating his competitiveness on the tour.

In addition to Clanton and Berger, the field will feature other notable players such as Shane Lowry, who is considered a tournament favorite, and past champions Rickie Fowler and Min Woo Lee. The event offers a total purse of $9.2 million, with the winner receiving $1.656 million and 500 FedEx Cup points.

The tournament will provide extensive coverage via ESPN+ and the Golf Channel, with coverage on days extending from 6:45 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. Clanton’s performances in this tournament will be closely watched as he seeks to secure his spot on the PGA Tour.