LIBERTY CORNER, N.J., and ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (Aug. 21, 2024) – Luke Clanton, 20, of Hialeah, Fla., has won the Mark H. McCormack Medal as the leading male in the 2024 World Amateur Golf Ranking®/WAGR®.

The McCormack Medal winner receives exemptions into the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club and The Open at Royal Portrush.

“Winning the McCormack Medal is an honor I will cherish forever,” said Clanton. “This award represents not just my efforts, but also the incredible family support I have. This will inspire me to keep pushing boundaries and to pursue my dreams with even greater determination. I’m proud to join the ranks of those who have achieved this distinction.”

The American rose to the top of the men’s ranking after a Round of 64 victory at the U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National Golf Club last week. Over the summer, Clanton became the first amateur to record consecutive top 10s on the PGA Tour since 1958. A week after finishing T-10 in the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic, the Florida State All-American finished runner-up in the John Deere Classic. He most recently recorded a solo fifth place finish at the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina.

Clanton also made his U.S. Open debut at Pinehurst and became the first amateur in championship history to record consecutive rounds in the 60s with back-to-back 69s in the second and third rounds. He would finish T-41.

During this past collegiate season at Florida State University, Clanton finished fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship and fifth in the NCAA Stanford (Calif.) Regional, leading the Seminoles to the NCAA Championship, where they fell to Auburn in the championship final. Clanton shared runner-up honors with five other golfers in the NCAA Division I Championship at the Omni La Costa Resort's North Course, one stroke behind winner Hiroshi Tai of Georgia Tech. Clanton went 2-1 in match play, losing to Auburn's JM Butler in the championship match, 2 and 1.

In 2021, Clanton advanced to the semifinals of the U.S. Junior Amateur at The Country Club of North Carolina. He also qualified for match play in last year's U.S. Amateur. 

“Luke has proven that he is a future star in the game, and we’re thrilled to see him accept this honor and reap the benefits that come with such special recognition,” said USGA Chief Championships Officer John Bodenhamer. “To perform consistently at such a high level and deliver outstanding performances reflects the hard work and dedication that Luke has applied as an elite amateur golfer. We look forward to seeing his career continue to prosper in the years ahead.”

“We would like to congratulate Luke on this outstanding achievement as he follows in the footsteps of the notable names who have won this prestigious award in previous years,” said Professor Steve Otto, chief technology officer at The R&A. “His outstanding results over the past year demonstrate the high standards he has set himself and he is a thoroughly deserving recipient of the medal.”

This comes one week after Lottie Woad, also of Florida State, received the women’s McCormack Medal. It is the first time in history that two individuals from the same school were both awarded McCormack Medals in the same year.

The R&A and the USGA co-award the McCormack Medal annually. It is named after Mark H. McCormack, who founded sports marketing company IMG and was a great supporter of amateur golf.
 
The World Amateur Golf Ranking, which is supported by Rolex, was established in 2007 when the men’s ranking was launched. The men’s ranking encompasses over 3,900 counting events, ranking 4,660 players from 118 countries. The women’s ranking was launched in 2011 and has a calendar of around 2,650 counting events with more than 3,033 ranked players from 90 countries.

About the USGA
The USGA is a mission-based golf organization whose purpose is to unify the golf community through handicapping and grassroots programs; to showcase the game’s best talent through the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally and 13 other national championships and our museum; to provide unbiased global governance with The R&A through the playing, equipment and Amateur Status rules; and to advance issues important to golf’s future, with a focus on driving sustainability, accessibility and inclusion. As a nonprofit association, our work and our team are driven to act for the good of the game. For more, visit usga.org.

About The R&A
References in this document to The R&A are to R&A Rules Limited. Together The R&A, based in St. Andrews, Scotland, and the USGA govern the sport of golf worldwide, operating in separate jurisdictions but with a commitment to a single code for the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status and Equipment Standards. The R&A governs the sport worldwide, outside of the United States and Mexico, on behalf of over 36 million golfers in 144 countries and with the consent of 159 organizations from amateur and professional golf.

The R&A aims to invest £200 million in developing golf over a decade and supports the growth of the sport internationally, including the development and management of sustainable golf facilities.  For more information visit http://www.randa.org.