Luke Clanton (USGA photo)
Luke Clanton and Neal Shipley battled for the amateur title in the final round of the U.S. Open. Now they are both in the top 30 of the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club in Detroit, Michigan.
Clanton comfortably made the cut with a score of 7 under par in the first two rounds and is currently tied for 26th place. Shipley, on the other hand, is tied for 10th place at 9 under par and hopes to advance into contention on Saturday.
Ben James, a 2023 Walker Cup player, made the cut at 4 under par, while 2024 Haskins Award winner Jackson Koivun shot even par and missed the cut by four strokes after making the cut in his PGA Tour debut at the Memorial Tournament earlier this month.
15-year-old Miles Russell makes an impressive debut on the PGA Tour, playing rounds of 74-70, even par.
SUMMARY OF THE FIRST ROUND
After a round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club in Detroit, Michigan, all four amateurs in the field had shot even par or better.
Luke Clanton, who recently made the cut at the US Open and is ranked No. 1 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com world rankings, shot 3-under-par 69 in the first round and is currently ranked T35.
Ben James shot a 2-under 70 and is T29, while Jackson Koivun shot an even-par 72 and is T100. Fifteen-year-old sensation Miles Russell shot a 2-over 74 and is T128.
Michael Thorbjornsen and Neal Shipley, both of whom recently turned professionals, are also in the game. Shipley is in ninth place after a first round of 5 under par and 67 strokes, while Thorbjornsen is in 17th place with 4 under par.
Koivun and Russell will have to work hard this weekend because, according to DataGolf, the probability of a cut of 5 under par is 21.1 percent, the probability of a cut of 4 under par is 42.7 percent and the probability of a cut of 3 under par is 27.3 percent.
PREVIEW
Luke Clanton, Ben James, Jackson Koivun and Miles Russell all received a sponsor exemption for the Rocket Mortgage Classic, which takes place June 27-30 at Detroit Golf Club. They will join Neal Shipley, who recently turned professional and also received a sponsor exemption for the PGA Tour event.
Clanton recently made the cut at the U.S. Open and is the No. 1 player in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rankings. He recently battled Shipley for the top amateur title at the U.S. Open. Shipley ultimately won the top amateur title, becoming the first player since Viktor Hovland in 2019 to win the top amateur title at both the Masters Tournament and the U.S. Open.
Ben James also played at the US Open after winning a medal in the final qualifier. James and Clanton tied for second place at the NCAA Singles Championships and James represented the United States at the 2023 Walker Cup.
Koivun had one of the best seasons you’ve ever seen. He won the 2024 Jack Nicklaus Award, giving him an even price average this year. He also won the Fred Haskins Award, the Ben Hogan Award and the Phil Mickelson Award.
Koivun also helped Auburn win its first men’s national golf title against Florida State two weeks ago and recently made the cut at the 2024 Memorial Tournament, an event he earned a spot in by winning the Nicklaus Award.
Koivun is the first player to win all four major awards in the same season. He also won the SEC Individual Championship by an impressive six strokes. Koivun was named SEC Freshman and Player of the Year, becoming the third man in conference history to win both awards simultaneously.
We now know what was in Tiger’s note to Neal.
We are pleased to be able to offer the reigning Low-Am a sponsorship exemption at both The Masters and the US Open, a place in the #RocketMortgageClassic.
Welcome to @PGA TOURNeal Shipley! pic.twitter.com/8XGgHsh7NW
— Rocket Mortgage Classic (@RocketClassic) 22 June 2024
Fifteen-year-old Miles Russell made headlines after his impressive debut on the Korn Ferry Tour and is now getting his chance on 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 AJGA Player of the Year Award. He won the Junior Players Championship and the Boys’ Junior PGA in late 2023. This year he finished second in the South Beach Amateur and tied for sixth in the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley.
