Clanton said after Saturday's round, when asked about his future, that he plans to play four years at Florida State. So he won't cash a check this week, or anytime soon, it seems. At least, not for a tournament result. The emergence of Name, Image and Likeness has made it easier for golf standouts like Clanton to stay in school, he acknowledged.

Florida State has one of the best NIL setups for golf in the country, through the Battles End (the athletic department's collective) and Seminole Masters (a support group for golf).

"Yeah," Clanton said, when asked if NIL makes a difference. "Like, I play golf to play golf. I think being able to play golf with your buddies every single day, it's something you don't get very much. I've got 12 dudes on that team that I absolutely love, so it's awesome."

Clanton's 202 is tied for the third-lowest 54-hole score by an amateur in the last four seasons. Dunlap's 189 at The American Express was tops, followed by Michael Thorbjornsen's 199 at the Travelers Championship in 2022. Thorbjornsen also shot 202 at the 2023 John Deere Classic. Thorbjornsen is now a pro, and missed the cut this week.

Clanton tied for 41st at the U.S. Open earlier this month, and got a sponsor's exemption into the Rocket.

Under pressure

It's not easy, but head superintendent Sam Moynihan and his grounds crew at Detroit Golf Club sure make it look that way, year after year after year.

Heavy rain drenched the grounds of DGC on Saturday morning. Many holes were under water as of 8 a.m., and Moynihan and his staff got the course playable, and better, for tee times to start around 12:30 p.m.

"It's impressive, right?" Moynihan said Saturday night, as the sun was shining and the course had pretty much dried out. "We're an older club with older infrastructure and some drainage challenges.

"It never ceases to amaze me just the willpower and determination those guys have, just to get the job done.

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