OAKMONT, Pa. — When Mason Howell was 4 years outdated, he dressed up as a golfer for Halloween.
Not a contemporary celebrity like Tiger Woods or Rickie Fowler, however Nineteen Twenties champion Bobby Jones, full with knickers, tall socks and a flat cap.
“It truly is all he desires to do,” stated Robb Howell, his father. “He’d somewhat do that than eat or sleep, definitely somewhat do that than go to high school. He desires to play golf.”
The 17-year-old will get to play on one in every of golf’s greatest levels this week on the one hundred and twenty fifth U.S. Open at Oakmont Nation Membership. He is the youngest golfer within the 156-player area.
“It type of simply reveals that the laborious work does repay,” Howell stated “All the times in the midst of the summer season down within the south Georgia warmth, sweating, simply beating balls and making an attempt to make putts, and simply a number of laborious work. This expertise is not like one thing I’ve ever carried out earlier than, so it is completely loopy.”
Howell’s dream come true begins at 8:46 a.m. ET Thursday when he tees off on the tenth gap at Oakmont with Chris Gotterup and DP World Tour participant Joakim Lagergren.
Howell did not precisely sneak into the sphere. On Could 8, he was the co-medalist in native qualifying at Hawkstone Nation Membership in Gainesville, Florida, by posting a 7-under 64.
In remaining qualifying at Piedmont Driving Membership in Atlanta, Howell did not make a bogey in 36 holes whereas posting a pair of 9-under 63s. He was co-medalist with former Illinois star Jackson Buchanan, a 2024 U.S. Newbie semifinalist.
That area additionally included previous main champions Zach Johnson and Jason Dufner and PGA Tour golfers Will Chandler, Hayden Buckley, Greyson Sigg and others.
“I am shocked he did it in that atmosphere, however I am not shocked he could make that many birdies,” Robb Howell stated. “I’ve seen him do {that a} bunch. I’ve seen him shoot 60 or 61 at our course a number of occasions.”
In truth, Howell recorded a 13-under 59 at Glen Arven Nation Membership in his hometown of Thomasville, Georgia.
He was 14.
Robb Howell and his spouse, Lauren, gave Mason his first set of golf equipment when he was 5. He competed in his first match the subsequent 12 months. When Mason was 12, he give up enjoying tennis and baseball to deal with golf.
Howell competed on the varsity crew as a sixth grader on the Maclay Faculty in Tallahassee, Florida.
“He was 12, enjoying towards these highschool youngsters,” Robb Howell stated. “They’d stroll to the primary tee, and a few 18-year-old would have a look at this child and say, ‘Gosh, I will kill him.’ Then he’d be shedding by 4 pictures after three holes.”
Howell has competed on the varsity squad on the Brookwood Faculty in Thomasville for the reason that eighth grade. In April, Brookwood Faculty captured its fourth Georgia Impartial Athletic Affiliation state title prior to now 5 years; Howell was the person state champion after surviving a playoff.
Howell was ranked the 470th-best golfer within the World Newbie Rating earlier than U.S. Open qualifying. He gained his age division on the 2022 Future Masters in Dothan, Alabama, the identical match Masters champions Bubba Watson and Scottie Scheffler captured as juniors. Howell additionally completed first within the 2023 Billy Horschel Junior Championships and superior to match play within the 2024 U.S. Junior Newbie.
“He is an unbelievable expertise, and he loves it,” stated Brookwood Faculty coach Jimmy Gillam. “He works his ass off, and that is what I like most. He would not get wrapped up within the success. He squashes it after which seems ahead to the subsequent match.”
Gillam, who’s an assistant educating professional at Glen Arven Nation Membership, recalled Howell calling him on a chilly December morning a few years in the past, wanting a chipping lesson. Gillam advised him there was a frost delay and he’d have to attend till it warmed up.
“I am on my means,” Howell advised him. “I am prepared now.”
Gillam is caddying for Howell this week. A local of Altoona, Pennsylvania, Gillam gained the 2018 Western Pennsylvania Open at Oakmont. He competed on mini-tours till a again harm ended his profession.
Gillam referred to as Howell “top-of-the-line putters I’ve ever seen.” Howell carries his drives so far as 305 yards and hits a 7-iron about 195.
“It is like enjoying a online game,” Gillam stated. “Everytime you’re working with him, he can simply choose it up so quick, and it will be an superior take a look at for him. He’ll be taught a lot about himself. He’ll learn to play very disciplined golf, as a result of in case you attempt to get grasping out right here, you are going to actually get bit.”
Howell performed apply rounds with five-time PGA Tour winner Harris English on Monday and Tuesday. English spent a part of his childhood in Thomasville and performed as a junior at Glen Arven.
“He is nice,” English stated. “He is means higher than I used to be at 17. I could not think about enjoying this occasion going into your senior 12 months of highschool. He is acquired all of the instruments: He is lengthy, he can flight it, looks like wedge participant. He is acquired all of the instruments.”
A rising senior on the Brookwood Faculty, Howell has dedicated to play golf on the College of Georgia in 2026, English’s alma mater. Howell’s sister, Meg, is a rising junior at Georgia, and his mom is a UGA graduate. Robb Howell attended Georgia’s legislation faculty.
“As I advised him this week, it is nearly gaining expertise,” English stated. “He’ll be enjoying in a number of these, and the earlier you’ll be able to turn into comfy out right here, enjoying in entrance of those crowds, enjoying golf programs like this, the higher. For him, simply the expertise is unimaginable, and simply soak it in and never be too laborious on your self. I imply, he is nonetheless younger.”
Howell understands that Oakmont Nation Membership’s 5-inch tough and lightning-fast greens will problem even one of the best golfers on the planet. His aim is to make the 36-hole reduce and win low novice honors, as Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, Viktor Hovland and others have carried out.
“I do know he desires to compete,” English stated. “I do know he desires to make the reduce. He desires to have an opportunity to win, however that is the toughest take a look at we now have in golf. We do not see it a complete lot, and that is his first time seeing it. So he’ll be taught loads about himself, loads about his sport, and seeing this type of degree of golf is an superior expertise for him.”
Reigning U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau additionally supplied phrases of recommendation for Howell: “Simply be grateful, that is one factor.”
“I used to be so centered after I was 17 on being one of the best participant I might be, I overpassed how cool it was to be touring the nation at the moment and enjoying golf,” stated DeChambeau, who competed in his first U.S. Open as a 21-year-old in 2015. “I misplaced a little bit little bit of that.”
If Howell makes the reduce, he would turn into the third-youngest golfer to do it within the U.S. Open since World Conflict II. Beau Hossler (17 years, 3 months) tied for twenty ninth as an novice in 2012; Michael Thorbjornsen (17 years, 8 months) was 79th in 2019.
Howell turns 18 on June 28.
“It is fairly cool for a father or mother to observe a child’s dream come true, you understand?” Robb Howell stated. “That is what my spouse and I are attending to do proper now in entrance of our eyes, which is fairly particular. All he is ever wished to do was play golf, and he is wished to be an expert golfer his entire life.”
