‘I’m not out here to conform.’ Kentucky-born golfer marches to his own successful beat.
One quick glance at Canon Claycomb is pretty much all it takes to realize the 18-year-old golf phenom from Bowling Green takes synchronized steps to the tune of his own percussion instrument.
Claycomb, coming off a freshman season at Alabama that was halted prematurely because of the coronavirus pandemic, shot a 3-under par 69 in Thursday’s final round to finish eighth in the Unbridled Tour tournament at Boone’s Trace National Golf Club in Richmond. And he did it in style, sporting the most outlandish outfit in the entire field — way-too-tight black shorts, tri-colored polo shirt with a large red stripe and a loud green Cabela’s cap.
“I like Rickie Fowler a lot,” Claycomb said, referencing the colorful PGA pro with a penchant for noisy outfits. “I like to wear outrageous stuff on the golf course, like this ridiculous Cabela’s hat. Yesterday I had a bright orange Bass Pro Shops hat. I’m not out here to conform and be normal like almost everybody else is.”
While Claycomb was competing in Richmond, his parents were in Indiana watching his younger brother, Cooper, play in a tournament. So he and his childhood friend Austin Schneller, who acted as Claycomb’s caddie all week, got to do their own thing sans adult supervision.
“It was just a boys’ week this week, it was great,” Claycomb said.
The camaraderie between the two was evident on hole No. 15. Claycomb snaked in a long putt for birdie, then danced his way over to Schneller on the fringe of the green, where they jumped in the air and shared a shoulder bump.
“Having one of my best friends on the bag always makes it easy to kick back and be loose,” Claycomb said. “But I’m definitely laid back in general. I’m not good at practicing either, I just like to play a lot. My college coach probably doesn’t like to hear that, but that’s just how I am. I’m not super serious when it comes to all of this stuff.”
Claycomb is clearly comfortable in his own skin and has a fierce independent streak. Asked if his freshman year at Alabama marked the longest stretch he’d spent away from his family, Claycomb replied, “It’s definitely the longest I’ve been away for an extended period of time, and it was great. As bad as that sounds, it was a lot of fun.
“It was definitely something I had to get used to. But I’ve traveled a lot by myself. I go to a lot of these tournaments by myself just because it’s cheaper on the family, so I’m pretty well-versed on how to survive and do things on my own. Being a college athlete helps you stay on task too because we’re on a pretty strict schedule. I wasn’t skipping class and taking naps, I was either at practice or at class or eating.”
Claycomb lived in Bowling Green until age 16 and played as a freshman at Greenwood High School — he finished second individually in Kentucky’s state tournament that season — before moving to Orlando, Fla., with his family. He finished high school in Florida and signed with Alabama as the No. 2-ranked golfer in the class of 2020, according to Golfweek. He made the inaugural Junior Presidents Cup team as a 15-year-old and as a sophomore was tabbed the Florida Boys’ Golf Player of the Year by the Orlando Sentinel.
Claycomb’s love of golf was cultivated by his family — he called his mother and father “really great weekend golfers” — but if not for a traumatic incident in another sport, who knows where his athletic career would stand right now?
“I was really good at baseball, but one day I broke my nose playing and I was scared to play anymore after that. It was probably a blessing in disguise. Then I got serious about golf when I was 10 or 11 and haven’t looked back. I just put the pedal to the floor.”
Both because of his career trajectory and his undeniable talent, Claycomb has drawn comparisons to another Kentucky golfer who suited up in college for the Crimson Tide — PGA powerhouse Justin Thomas.
“It’s awesome to be compared to someone as good as JT, I really appreciate it but I know I have a long way to go,” Claycomb said. “I know a lot of that is because I’m from Kentucky and I go to Alabama, the parallels are definitely there.”
Claycomb has also become personally familiar with Thomas.
“I’ve gotten to know him a lot over the years, he’s a really great guy and he’s great at golf. If I can be anything like he has been and he will be I think it’ll end up being a very successful career. I definitely love those comparisons, but I know I have to do a lot more than I have to actually earn them.”
Though he certainly hopes to make a successful career out of golf, Claycomb is in no rush to map out a professional path.
“The truth is, I honestly have no idea how it’s going to play out,” he said. “If I have a really awesome year and win a bunch of college tournaments then maybe I will go pro, but I don’t have a timeline on it. Really, I’ll have to have a lot going for me if I’m going to leave college early. I definitely see myself playing professionally one day but I’m just enjoying life right now, I’m in no hurry.”
