Amateur star Luke Clanton signs endorsement deal with Tiger Woods' former long-term sponsor

Amateur star golfer Luke Clanton has just announced that he's signing on with Nike Golf, the brand that Tiger Woods helped build. Woods spent almost three decades with the company before splitting off to make his own Sun Day Red line. Now, Clanton has the chance to be one of Nike's high-profile athletes.

Clanton shared the announcement to his Instagram Story detailing his journey in golf, showcasing how long he's been golfing and how quickly he's ascended to this point. He said:

"Every step and every rep has led me to this moment. But those moments don't define me. This? This is just the beginning. Now, it's time to go all in. Time to go further. Dream bigger. Push harder. It's time to just do it."

The amateur really broke through in 2024 at the US Open, where he made the cut and tied for 41st as an amateur. He outperformed Wyndham Clark, Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland, Justin Thomas and Woods.

He went on to tie for 10th at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and made six more starts in 2024, including a T2 finish at the John Deere Classic. In 2025, he missed the cut at the Sony Open and WM Phoenix Open but finished T15 at the Farmers Insurance Open.

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Luke Clanton is zeroing in on PGA Tour membership card

Luke Clanton had an overall successful 2024 season on the PGA Tour for an amateur, but it wasn't enough to get his membership card. The 21-year-old from Florida State fell just short despite his best efforts.

In 2025, he has continued working towards that goal, and it is now nigh. The amateur golfer will soon become a pro. He's one point away from getting his PGA Tour card through the Tour's University Accelerated program.

Next week at the Cognizant Classic, Clanton is slated to make another start. If he makes the cut, he will earn his PGA Tour card and almost assuredly turn pro. Whether or not he makes it then, he's all but assured to get it in the next few weeks.

Luke Clanton is nearing a pro turn (Image via Getty)

This is not the first time Nike has gone after someone before they even turned pro. Vanderbilt senior Gordon Sargent and former USC star Amari Avery were both added by Nike before they made it to that level, too. Clanton now joins their exclusive club, but only shortly before turning pro.

Luke Clanton, despite not being a pro yet and only having limited PGA Tour opportunities, ranks 93rd in the world by OWGR. That's higher than Jake Knapp, Keith Mitchell and Charley Hoffman. It's also the highest amateur ranking by a fair margin. No other amateur is in the top 200.