“Absolutely nothing” – Luke Clanton says ‘dollar sign’ against positions doesn’t affect him after turning pro

Luke Clanton said the presence of a dollar sign next to his name does not affect his approach after turning professional. Clanton turned professional on June 5, 2025, ahead of the RBC Canadian Open.

He secured his PGA Tour card through the PGA Tour University Accelerated program by finishing T-18 at the Cognizant Classic on February 29, 2025, at PGA National. He said(via ASAP Sports):

“Absolutely nothing. Same thing for me. Going out here to compete against the best. You know, I think a dollar sign would not change my point of view on anything.”

In his amateur career, Luke Clanton became the first amateur since Doug Sanders in 1958 to post back-to-back top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour. He finished tied second at the 2024 John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run with a score of 21-under and tied second again at the 2024 RSM Classic at Sea Island with 19-under.

He also finished fifth at the 2024 Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club and tied for 10th at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Clanton reached No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking in August 2024. Clanton won the Mark H. McCormack Medal and the Ben Hogan Award in 2025.

Clanton made his professional debut at the RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf and Country Club. In round one, he shot an even-par 70, which included an eagle on the par-5 18th and a birdie on the par-4 6th. He missed the cut after a second-round 69 left him at 1-under, two strokes behind the cutline of 3-under.

Clanton’s second professional start was at the Travellers Championship at TPC River Highlands. He opened with a 3-under 67 in round one, with four birdies and one bogey, tied for 15th after day one. Through three rounds, he stood tied for 33rd at 3-under. His third round featured four birdies in his first five holes, with a round total of 68. Recently, Luke Clanton revealed his way to tackle anxiety.

Luke Clanton Opens Up About Using ‘Dark Meditation’ to Tackle Anxiety on PGA Tour

Luke Clanton recently shared how he manages anxiety as a professional golfer. Speaking with Golf.com’s Claire Rogers in an interview, which she later posted on her X, Clanton explained how a random YouTube video introduced him to a practice called 'dark meditation.'

Clanton was heard saying:

“It’s not like your typical meditation, the first couple of times I was terrified… I didn’t know where to go. But now I love it. It helps me picture every shot, and it’s almost like hallucinating if you keep your eyes open in the dark. You’ve got to be careful not to fall asleep because you won’t know if you’re awake or not,”Clanton said.

Luke Clanton began using this method in 2024, while still an amateur. Since turning pro, he has continued to rely on dark meditation, crediting it for helping him stay grounded and focused in high-pressure situations.