Imago
Composition of silhouette of male golf player over landscape and blue sky with copy space. sport and competition concept digitally generated image. Copyright: xx 1451962
Imago
Composition of silhouette of male golf player over landscape and blue sky with copy space. sport and competition concept digitally generated image. Copyright: xx 1451962
After missing the cut in Hawaii last week, Luke Clanton was eager to impress in the 2026 American Express. But as per the latest reports, that won’t be happening as he withdrew before his second round at the $9.2 million event. Although the reason remains unclear, if one looks closely at his game, it might become clear.
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Clanton was already struggling to make the cuts during events ever since he joined the PGA Tour. The 22-year-old has made 18 cuts in the 27 events he completed before this weekend, and finishing 106th after day one did not exactly put him in a great spot to make the cut. Anyways, this was the first withdrawal Clanton had taken since joining the PGA Tour.
Touted to be the next big thing in golf, Clanton’s disappointment towards missed cuts is justified. Considering that the PGA Tour Communications categorized his explanation for the withdrawal as illness, he should be back on the fairway pretty soon. But that still won’t resolve the issues he’s facing in the course.
In the first round, Clanton shot 70. He made three bogeys and 5 birdies. Clanton’s withdrawal forced Keita Nakajima from Japan to begin the 1:09 P.M. (EST) time group alone.
Luke Clanton (illness) WD prior to his second round of The American Express.
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) January 23, 2026
Based on his performances, you can see why he is struggling.
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Luke Clanton’s biggest problems on the golf course
He may be missing the weekend rounds this week due to illness. But Luke Clanton must be aware of his weakness on the golf course now. Especially after making 28 appearances on the PGA Tour.
He has been good off the tee and can find the green consistently. However, the 22-year-old has been facing issues in reading the green. That is something even his caddie, Jason Wiertel, hasn’t been able to help him with.
He was ranked 148th on the PGA Tour for strokes gained through putting in 2025. His putts per round average of 29.83 was the 174th worst on the Tour. The only thing worse than that was his one-putt percentage of 35.25%, which was ranked 175th last season.
It’s evident that he has the support of the fans. Once the #1 amateur golfer in the world, netizens even called out Jay Monahan & Co. for his absence from the field of the 2025 Masters Tournament. So he has to start living up to that potential and showing up on the PGA Tour as well.
While he excels off the tee and with his approach shots, putting has consistently been a weakness for him. Whether he’s missing the cut or withdrawing from events, Clanton should definitely be consulting an expert for his game on the green.
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