OAKMONT, Pa. — Even at the tender age of 4, Mason Howell demonstrated his singular focus by choosing to dress as golf icon Bobby Jones for Halloween. Forget modern stars; Mason preferred the classic look of knickers, tall socks, and a flat cap, typical of Jones` 1920s attire.
“It really is all he wants to do,” shared his father, Robb Howell. “He`d rather do this than eat or sleep, certainly rather do this than go to school. He wants to play golf.”
That unwavering passion has led the 17-year-old to one of golf`s grandest stages this week: the 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club. Mason is the youngest competitor among the 156-player field.
“It kind of just shows that the hard work does pay off,” Howell stated, reflecting on his achievement. “All the days in the middle of the summer down in the south Georgia heat, sweating, just beating balls and trying to make putts, and just a lot of hard work. This experience is unlike something I`ve ever done before, so it`s absolutely crazy.”
Mason`s momentous journey begins at 8:46 a.m. ET on Thursday when he tees off from Oakmont`s 10th hole, playing alongside Chris Gotterup and DP World Tour player Joakim Lagergren.
Howell`s presence in the field is well-earned. He was a co-medalist at the local qualifying event on May 8 at Hawkstone Country Club in Gainesville, Florida, where he shot an impressive 7-under 64.
His final qualifying performance at Piedmont Driving Club in Atlanta was even more remarkable: he went bogey-free over 36 holes, carding two rounds of 9-under 63. This secured him co-medalist honors alongside Jackson Buchanan, a semifinalist in the 2024 U.S. Amateur.
That competitive field in Atlanta included seasoned professionals and past major champions such as Zach Johnson and Jason Dufner, as well as PGA Tour players Will Chandler, Hayden Buckley, and Greyson Sigg, among others.
“I`m surprised he did it in that environment, but I`m not surprised he can make that many birdies,” Robb Howell commented. “I`ve seen him do that a bunch. I`ve seen him shoot 60 or 61 at our course several times.”
Indeed, Mason holds a spectacular score of 13-under 59 at his home course, Glen Arven Country Club in Thomasville, Georgia. He achieved this feat when he was just 14 years old.
Mason`s golf journey began early; his parents, Robb and Lauren Howell, gave him his first set of clubs at age 5. He competed in his first tournament the following year. By 12, his dedication led him to stop playing tennis and baseball to focus exclusively on golf.
He even played on the varsity golf team as a sixth grader at the Maclay School in Tallahassee, Florida.
“He was 12, playing against these high school kids,” Robb Howell recounted. “They would walk to the first tee, and some 18-year-old would look at this kid and say, `Gosh, I`m going to kill him.` Then he`d be losing by four shots after three holes.”
Howell has been a member of the varsity squad at the Brookwood School in Thomasville since the eighth grade. In April, he helped Brookwood secure their fourth Georgia Independent Athletic Association state title in five years, and he also won the individual state championship in a playoff.
Before his U.S. Open qualification, Howell was ranked 470th in the World Amateur Ranking. His junior career highlights include winning his age division at the prestigious 2022 Future Masters (a tournament previously won by Bubba Watson and Scottie Scheffler as juniors) and finishing first in the 2023 Billy Horschel Junior Championships. He also reached match play in the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur.
“He`s an unbelievable talent, and he loves it,” praised Brookwood School coach Jimmy Gillam. “He works his ass off, and that`s what I love most. He doesn`t get wrapped up in the success. He squashes it and then looks forward to the next tournament.”
Gillam, who is also an assistant teaching pro at Glen Arven Country Club, remembers a cold December morning a few years ago when Mason called, eager for a chipping lesson despite a frost delay. Howell`s response: “I`m on my way… I`m ready now.”
This week, Gillam is on Mason`s bag, serving as his caddie. Gillam, an Altoona, Pennsylvania native, won the 2018 Western Pennsylvania Open at Oakmont himself before a back injury ended his mini-tour playing career.
Gillam describes Howell as “one of the best putters I’ve ever seen” and notes his impressive power, driving the ball up to 305 yards and hitting a 7-iron around 195 yards.
“It`s like playing a video game,” Gillam remarked about working with Mason. “Whenever you`re working with him, he can just pick it up so fast, and it`s going to be an awesome test for him. He`s going to learn so much about himself. He`s going to learn how to play very disciplined golf, because if you try to get greedy out here, you`re going to really get bit.”
Howell had the valuable opportunity to play practice rounds with five-time PGA Tour winner Harris English on Monday and Tuesday. English, who spent part of his childhood in Thomasville and played junior golf at Glen Arven, offered his assessment.
“He`s great,” English said. “He`s way better than I was at 17. I couldn`t imagine playing this event going into your senior year of high school. He`s got all the tools: He`s long, he can flight it, seems like a good wedge player. He`s got all the tools.”
A rising senior at the Brookwood School, Howell has committed to play collegiate golf at the University of Georgia starting in 2026, following English`s alma mater. The connection runs deeper, as Mason`s sister is a rising junior at Georgia, and both his parents are UGA graduates.
“As I told him this week, it`s just about gaining experience,” English shared as advice. “He`s going to be playing in a lot of these, and the sooner you can become comfortable out here, playing in front of these crowds, playing golf courses like this, the better. For him, just the experience is incredible, and just soak it in and not be too hard on yourself. I mean, he`s still young.”
Mason fully understands the immense challenge posed by Oakmont Country Club`s formidable 5-inch rough and notoriously fast greens. His immediate goals are to make the 36-hole cut and compete for low amateur honors, a distinction previously achieved by legends like Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, and Viktor Hovland.
“I know he wants to compete,” English added. “I know he wants to make the cut. He wants to have a chance to win, but this is the hardest test we have in golf. We don`t see it a whole lot, and this is his first time seeing it. So he`s going to learn a lot about himself, a lot about his game, and seeing this kind of level of golf is an awesome experience for him.”
Reigning U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau also offered a simple but profound piece of advice to Howell: “Just be grateful, that`s one thing.”
“I was so focused when I was 17 on being the best player I could be, I lost sight of how cool it was to be traveling the country at that time and playing golf,” reflected DeChambeau, who was 21 when he made his U.S. Open debut in 2015. “I lost a little bit of that.”
Should Howell successfully make the cut this week, he would join an exclusive group as the third-youngest golfer since World War II to do so in the U.S. Open. Beau Hossler (17 years, 3 months) finished tied for 29th as an amateur in 2012, and Michael Thorbjornsen (17 years, 8 months) finished 79th in 2019.
Mason will celebrate his 18th birthday on June 28.
“It`s pretty cool for a parent to watch a kid`s dream come true, you know?” Robb Howell concluded. “That`s what my wife and I are getting to do right now in front of our eyes, which is pretty special. All he`s ever wanted to do was play golf, and he`s wanted to be a professional golfer his whole life.”
