Former FSU golf star Luke Clanton shares advice for commits Charlie Woods, Miles Russell

The Florida State men’s golf team has been in the news a lot lately due to the commitments of junior stars Charlie Woods and Miles Russell, creating what could be one of the best college golf recruiting classes of all time.

However, just last year, it was Luke Clanton making headlines for Florida State. Clanton played in several PGA events while still in college and was recognized as the best player in college golf.

Prior to his start this week at the Cognizant Classic in South Florida, where he earned his PGA Tour card last year, Clanton sat down with Smylie Kaufman for an interview on the “Smylie Show.”

At the end of the interview, co-host Charlie Hulme asked Clanton what advice he would give both Russell and Woods about life as a college golfer at Florida State. And the former Florida State star had some interesting words for the future Seminoles.

“I think the biggest thing is just enjoying it,” Clanton said. “We get so consumed by, ‘OK, I’m going to be here a year and go pro.’ Obviously now, with Miles and Charlie being there, it’s going to be a lot of media and a lot of attention. I think they just kinda have to be like, ‘OK, these are my brothers and I’m going to enjoy it, and I’m going to love it, and I’m going to fight for them. … I hope that they just stick together as much as they can and talk. I know it sounds a little weird, but sit down and have a conversation with each other. …

“Obviously, Miles has done some incredible things already at such a young age. Charlie’s doing great things at such a young age. Expectations are going to go higher and higher. I think just be together and understand like, ‘Hey, this is my brother, and I’m going to fight for him.’ And when you go out for a national championship, it doesn’t matter how good your team is, it matters how close you guys are. Because when you’re coming down that final stretch, you are not just playing for yourself.”

Clanton also told Kaufman that his former Florida State teammate Tyler Weaver is someone golf fans will hear a lot about soon.

“That dude’s really good,” Clanton said. “And I remember the first time we played together — we play with a lot of golfers — and we’re all like, ‘Oh, that’s good.’ This was the first time where I was like, ‘Damn! Like that is different.’ He was hitting it 330 on a line. … And then his wedges were really good, and I was like, ‘This guy’s legit.'”

Weaver did not play in many tournaments for Florida State in the fall due to events such as the Walker Cup, but he did get back in the swing of things at the Watersound Invitational, where he shot a final-round 65 to finish fourth in the first event of the year.

Golf was not the only Florida State-related topic of conversation in the interview. Clanton was also asked about his favorite FSU football player of all time, to which his answer was quickly Jameis Winston.

However, Jordan Travis was a very close second. And Clanton said he thinks Florida State would have won the national championship in 2023 if Travis hadn’t gotten hurt.

He compared Travis’ leadership skills to those of Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza.

“My freshman year of college, I walked in the training room, and I’m lost. I don’t know where I’m going,” Clanton said. “I’m trying to find [someone], and everyone has headphones on. Everyone’s not really talking to anybody. And then Jordan walked in, and he’s got like a plain gray shirt, plain black shorts … walks in and says, ‘Hi,’ to every person in the training center. And he even said, ‘Hi,’ to me, and I was like a little fan boy.

“Like, ‘Oh my gosh Jordan. Like dude, you’re the best.’ It was just so cool how he acted towards everyone. Like the leadership he had and I think it just sucks. It really sucks to see what happened.”

Clanton is one of four former Florida State golfers teeing it up at PGA National this week, along with Daniel Berger, Brooks Koepka and Hank Lebioda.

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