Canon Claycomb Eyeing High Aspirations For Alabama Golf After Shortened Spring Season

According to coach Jay Seawell, Claycomb was a "difference maker" for the Crimson Tide in its shortened spring campaign

Difference maker. 

When University of Alabama freshman golfer Canon Claycomb arrived on campus in January, the team was listed at No. 53 in the nation, according to the Golfstat rankings. 

But after two tournaments that the Crimson Tide was able to play in, before the spring season was shortened due to COVID-19, the group ascended nearly 20 spots to No. 34, largely in part to what the Bowling Green, Ken. native was able to do in his first collegiate events. 

"Canon did an incredible job," Crimson Tide coach Jay Seawell said. "He was more that the missing link for our team. First, he adopted our mindset of what team golf is. Second, he tried to be the best teammate he could be. Third, he came in with an incredible amount of talent as one of the best players in the country. 

"Him coming in with some enthusiasm, really low scores, being a good teammate, he just fit in perfectly for this team and it gave all of our other guys confidence moving forward."

Before arriving at the Capstone, Claycomb was rated as the No. 1 and No. 4 golfer by Golfstat and the Rolex American Junior Golf Association, respectively, in the 2020 recruiting class, and was listed at No. 64 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. 

Claycomb's Crimson Tide debut came at the Puerto Rico Classic in February where he shot 4-under par 212 (71-72-69) across three days to help guide Alabama to a fourth place finish amongst a strong field that included Georgia, Oklahoma, Clemson, Purdue, and many others.  

Then, in the final event of the season at the Cabo Collegiate in Los Cabo, Mexico on March 1-3, the 6-foot-1, righty shot an impressive 4-under par 209 (70-66-73) to capture his first individual top-10 finish and, as a team, the Crimson Tide finished in a tie for seventh. His second round score of 5-under par (66) was tied for the best score by any Alabama golfer this season. 

"It was crazy," Claycomb said when asked to sum up his first season of college golf. "Coming in, in January was a little different. I had to fit into my role on the team pretty quick. I only had a month or so between getting settled and our first event so everything was moving fast. I enjoyed last season and I loved being on campus. I had been excited about going to Alabama for a couple years now, and the time finally came. I am really looking forward to being able to go back in the fall, for sure."

Claycomb's efforts south of the border proved enough for him to be named the Southeastern Conference's Men's Freshman Golfer of the Week. It was the first time an Alabama golfer had won the award since Davis Shore in April of 2018. 

"Our trip to Cabo was probably my most memorable," Claycomb said. "We got to fly private and that was the first time I had ever flown private. That whole week was just really awesome. It might be the best tournament we play in all year. We stayed in a super nice house on the beach and the golf course was right there, and fortunately, I played really well and had a chance to win down the stretch. That was probably my turning point in college golf. 

"I realized, then, that I could compete with these guys and this was where I needed to be."

Even Claycomb's teammates, namely team captain, Wilson Furr, noticed a difference among the group after his arrival. 

"I think the best thing about Canon is that he is a gamer," Furr said. "He wants to go out there and beat your face in. Like a lot of guys on our team, he is just ultra competitive. I think that attitude was pretty contagious for our team and it was very important."

Now, since the summer has begun and tournaments are opening up all over the country again, Claycomb will have the opportunity to showcase his talent in events in South Carolina, North Carolina, Texas, Indiana, and potentially, the U.S Amateur Championship in Brandon, Ore. 

"That is my summer schedule, but I have been focusing on the fall season mainly," Claycomb said. "My mind is gearing towards that. We want to win a national championship and a SEC championship. I am trying to do everything I can do to get the ball rolling once the season gets here."

At the end of May, the Bluegrass State standout participated in the Unbridled Tour Tournament at Boone Trace's National Golf Club in Richmond, Ken., where he finished 8th, after shooting 11 under par (70-66-69) through the 54-hole event. 

He did it all while putting his charismatic, outspoken nature on display, rocking a three-striped polo shirt and dark green Cabela's hat.

"I definitely do things that are different," Claycomb said. "I wear weird stuff sometimes. like trucker hats and fishing hats. People might think I am just a hick from Kentucky playing golf, but you know, golf is such a weird sport, in the aspect, that we tend to respect the game so much that anything that is different than the normal thing is looked at is disrespectful. I do not necessarily agree with that.

"I am not saying I do not follow any of the rules. But I do definitely beat to my own drum. Personally, I do not want to be another golfer, I just want to be myself. I want to build a brand at Alabama." 

Professional golf is certainly in Claycomb's future, but at the ripe of 18, he simply wants to enjoy this stage of life and focus on filling the trophy cases that line the lobby of the Jerry Pate Golf Center.

"I do not really have a timetable on it right now," Claycomb said. "I do not really see me leaving until I accomplish my goals here of winning a national championship and SEC championship. If we were to even win a championship next year, I do not think I would even leave then, because I want to leave the university a better place than I found it and I feel like turning pro before all of those goals were accomplished would be an injustice to myself and my team." 

Recently, the Crimson Tide's best finish at the NCAA championships was as a runner up in 2018. As the 2013 and 2014 back-to-back national championship teams begin to feel more distant, according to Claycomb, there are many similarities to that era of Crimson Tide golf and the squad assembled now in Tuscaloosa.

"I can definitely see parallels between those two national championship teams and what we have now," Claycomb said. "We have more talent than anybody out there and we have to harness that. I think we are going to work really, really hard this fall. I picked Alabama because of the winning tradition. I believe in Coach Seawell, Coach [Jon] Howell, and all of my teammates. We want to win, not only for ourselves, but for the school and I think we are going to do that real soon."