Luke Clanton (USGA Photo)
Luke Clanton, Ben James, Jackson Koivun, and Miles Russell all earned sponsor exemptions to the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club from June 27 to June 30. They will join Neal Shipley, who recently turned pro and also earned a sponsor exemption to the PGA Tour event.
Clanton recently made the cut at the U.S. Open and is the No. 1 ranked player in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rankings and recently battled Shipley at the U.S. Open for low amateur honors. Shipley ended up winning the low amateur honors, becoming the first player since Viktor Hovland in 2019 to win low amateur honors at the Masters Tournament and the U.S. Open.
Ben James also played in the U.S. Open after finishing as the medalist in final qualifying. James and Clanton finished T2 at the NCAA individual championships, and James represented the United States in the 2023 Walker Cup.
Koivun had one of the best seasons you will see. He won the 2024 Jack Nicklaus Award, giving him a clean sweep of awards this year. He also won the Fred Haskins Award, Ben Hogan Award, and Phil Mickelson Award.
Koivun also helped Auburn win its first men’s golf national title over Florida State two weeks ago and recently made the cut at the 2024 Memorial Tournament, an event he earned a spot in after winning the Nicklaus Award.
Koivun becomes the first player to win all four major awards in the same season. He also won the SEC individual championship by an impressive six shots. Koivun was voted the SEC Freshman and Player of the Year, becoming the third man in conference history to earn both at the same time.
We now know what Tiger’s note said to Neal.
We are excited to offer a sponsorship exemption to the reigning low am at both the The Masters and U.S. Open a spot in the #RocketMortgageClassic.
Welcome to the @PGATOUR, Neal Shipley! pic.twitter.com/8XGgHsh7NW
— Rocket Mortgage Classic (@RocketClassic) June 22, 2024
15-year-old Miles Russell made headlines after his impressive debut on the Korn Ferry Tour, and now he will get his chance at the PGA Tour.
Russell, a left-hander, missed qualifying for the Puerto Rico Open this spring in a Monday Qualifier. He is the youngest player to win the AGJA Player of the Year Award. In late 2023, he won the Junior Players Championship and the Boys’ Junior PGA. This year, he was a runner-up in the South Beach Amateur and finished sixth in the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley.