OAKMONT, Pa. – From a very young age, it was clear Mason Howell had a singular passion for golf. At just four years old, he chose to dress up as the legendary 1920s golfer Bobby Jones for Halloween, opting for knickers and a flat cap over modern icons.
“It really is all he wants to do,” his father, Robb Howell, remarked. “He`d rather do this than eat or sleep, certainly rather do this than go to school. He wants to play golf.”
This week, the 17-year-old is fulfilling that deep desire on one of golf`s grandest stages: the 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club. Howell stands out as the youngest competitor among the 156-player field.
“It kind of just shows that the hard work does pay off,” Howell said. “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.”
Howell`s significant week began with his tee time on Thursday morning, playing alongside Chris Gotterup and Joakim Lagergren.
His path to the U.S. Open was anything but quiet. He demonstrated exceptional skill in qualifying rounds, first tying for medalist honors at local qualifying in Gainesville, Florida, with an impressive 7-under 64 on May 8.
He followed this by being co-medalist in final qualifying in Atlanta, shooting back-to-back 9-under 63s without a single bogey over 36 holes. This performance put him ahead of established pros and accomplished amateurs like 2024 U.S. Amateur semifinalist Jackson Buchanan.
“I`m surprised he did it in that environment, but I`m not surprised he can make that many birdies,” his father noted, adding that Mason has shot rounds of 60 or 61 multiple times at their home course.
Remarkably, Howell once carded a 13-under 59 at Glen Arven Country Club in his hometown of Thomasville, Georgia, when he was just 14 years old.
Mason received his first golf clubs at age five and played his first tournament the following year. By age 12, he committed fully to golf, leaving behind tennis and baseball.
He began competing on the varsity team as a sixth grader at Maclay School in Tallahassee, Florida. His father recalled opponents` initial underestimations.
“He was 12, playing against these high school kids,” Robb Howell said. “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.”
Since eighth grade, Howell has played for Brookwood School in Thomasville. He helped the team secure its fourth state title in five years this past April, also winning the individual state championship in a playoff.
Prior to U.S. Open qualifying, Howell was ranked 470th in the World Amateur Ranking. His previous notable victories include his age division at the 2022 Future Masters, a tournament previously won by major champions like Bubba Watson and Scottie Scheffler as juniors. He also won the 2023 Billy Horschel Junior Championships and reached match play at the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur.
“He`s an unbelievable talent, and he loves it,” said Brookwood School coach Jimmy Gillam, who is also assisting Howell at Oakmont. “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 shared an anecdote about Howell`s dedication, recalling a cold December morning when Mason insisted on a chipping lesson despite a frost delay.
“I`m on my way,” Howell told him at the time. “I`m ready now.”
Gillam, a former mini-tour player and native of Altoona, Pennsylvania, who won the 2018 Western Pennsylvania Open at Oakmont, is caddying for Howell this week. He described Mason as one of the best putters he`s ever seen. Howell possesses significant power, driving the ball around 305 yards and hitting a 7-iron approximately 195 yards.
“It`s like playing a video game,” Gillam commented on 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 prepared for the tournament by playing practice rounds with five-time PGA Tour winner Harris English, who also has ties to Thomasville and Glen Arven. English offered high praise for the young player.
“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.”
Currently a rising senior at Brookwood School, Howell has committed to play college golf at the University of Georgia in 2026, following in the footsteps of English and other family members who attended UGA.
“As I told him this week, it`s just about gaining experience,” English advised. “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.”
Howell is fully aware of the formidable challenge posed by Oakmont`s thick rough and notoriously fast greens. His primary goals for the week are to make the 36-hole cut and contend for low amateur honors, a feat achieved by golfing greats like Jack Nicklaus and Phil Mickelson early in their careers.
“I know he wants to compete,” English stated. “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 simple 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 made his U.S. Open debut at age 21 in 2015. “I lost a little bit of that.”
Should Howell make the cut, he would become only the third golfer since World War II aged 17 or younger to achieve this at the U.S. Open. The others are Beau Hossler (17 years, 3 months), who tied for 29th as an amateur in 2012, and Michael Thorbjornsen (17 years, 8 months), who finished 79th in 2019. Howell will turn 18 later this month, on June 28.
“It`s pretty cool for a parent to watch a kid`s dream come true, you know?” Robb Howell shared. “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.”
