Oakmont, Pennsylvania – When Mason Howell was 4 years old, he disguised himself as a golfer for Halloween.
Not a modern superstar like Tiger Woods or Rickie Fowler, but the 1920s champion, Bobby Jones, with panties, large socks and a flat cap.
“That’s really everything he wants to do,” said Robb Howell, his father. “He prefers to do that rather than eating or sleeping, certainly doing this rather than going to school. He wants to play golf.”
The 17 -year -old will be able to play on one of the biggest golf scenes this week at the 125th US Open in Oakmont Country Club. He is the youngest golfer in the field of 156 players.
“This shows in a way that hard work is paying,” said Howell “every day in the middle of summer in the heat of the south of Georgia, by sweating, beating balls and trying to do putts, and just a lot of hard work. This experience is different from something that I have ever done before, so it’s absolutely crazy.”
Howell’s dream came true starts at 8:46 a.m. Thursday when he is triggered on the 10th hole in Oakmont with Chris Gotterup and DP player World Tour Joakim Lagergren.
Howell does not sneak exactly on the ground. On May 8, he was co-managed by local qualifications at Hawkstone Country Club in Gainesville, Florida, by displaying a 7-sous 64.
During the final qualifications at the Piedmont Driving Club in Atlanta, Howell did not make a Bogey in 36 holes while publishing a pair of 9 under 63. He was co-managed with the former star of Illinois Jackson Buchanan, an American amateur semi-finalist in 2024.
This land also included the former major champions Zach Johnson and Jason Dufner and the Golfers of the PGA Tour Will Chandler, Hayden Buckley, Greyson Sigg and others.
“I am surprised that he did it in this environment, but I am not surprised that he could do so many birdies,” said Robb Howell. “I saw him do this a heap. I saw him shoot 60 or 61 in our journey several times.”
In fact, Howell recorded a 13-mine of 59 at the Glen Arven Country Club in his hometown of Thomasville, in Georgia.
He was 14 years old.
Robb Howell and his wife, Lauren, gave Mason his first set of clubs at the age of 5. He participated in his first tournament the following year. When Mason was 12 years old, he stopped playing tennis and baseball to focus on golf.
Howell participated in the university team as a sixth year in Maclay school in Tallahassee, Florida.
“He was 12 years old, playing against these high school students,” said Robb Howell. “They would go to the first tee, and an 18 -year -old looked at this child and said,” My God, I will kill him. “Then he would lose four shots after three holes.”
Howell has contributed to the Brookwood school university team in Thomasville since the eighth year. In April, Brookwood School won his fourth state of Georgia Independent Athletic Association in the past five years; Howell was the individual state champion after surviving the playoffs.
Howell was ranked the 470th best golfer in the world amateur ranking before the qualifications of Open US. He won his age division at 2022 Future Masters in Dothan, Alabama, the same masters champion of the Bubba Watson and Sccheffler Tournament captured as juniors. Howell also finished first in the Billy 2023 junior junior championships and went on to play the game in the American junior amateur 2024.
“It’s an incredible talent, and he loves it,” said Brookwood school coach Jimmy Gillam. “He works his ass, and that is what I like the most. He does not find himself enveloped in success. He listens to him and then awaits the following tournament.”
Gillam, who is an assistant professional from Glen Arven Country Club, recalled that Howell had called him in a cold morning in December a few years ago, wanting a scamming lesson. Gillam told him that there was a gel delay and he should wait for him to warm up.
“I’m on the way,” said Howll. “I’m ready now.”
Gillam Caddie for Howell this week. Originally from Altoona, in Pennsylvania, Gillam won the 2018 Pennsylvania Western Pennsylvania open in Oakmont. He contributed to mini-tours until a back injury ended his career.
Gillam called Howell “one of the best putters I have ever seen”. Howell carries his discs up to 305 yards and hit an iron at 7 around 195.
“It’s like playing a video game,” said Gillam. “Whenever you work with him, he can simply pick him up so quickly, and it will be a great test for him. He will learn a lot about himself. He will learn to play a very disciplined golf course, because if you try to go out gourmet here, you will really allow yourself.”
Howell played training towers with the five -time winner of the PGA Tour Harris English on Monday and Tuesday. The Englishman spent part of his childhood in Thomasville and played as a junior in Glen Arven.
“He’s great,” said English. “It is much better than 17 years old. I could not imagine playing this event in your last year of high school. He has all the tools: he is long, he can steal it, seems to be a good corner player. He has all the tools.”
Senior rising to the Brookwood School, Howell is committed to playing golf at the University of Georgia in 2026, Alma Mater English. Howl’s sister Meg is a rising junior in Georgia, and her mother graduated from the UGA. Robb Howell frequented Georgia’s Law School.
“As I told him this week, it is simply a question of gaining experience,” said English. “He will play in many of these, and the sooner you can become comfortable here, playing in front of these crowds, playing golf courses like that, the better. For him, just the experience is incredible, and just soak it and not be too hard with yourself. I mean, it is still young.”
Howell understands that 5 -inch raw and fast green vegetables from Oakmont Country Club will even challenge the best golfers in the world. Its objective is to cut 36 holes and win the honors of weak amateur, as Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, Viktor Hovland and others did.
“I know he wants to compete,” said English. “I know he wants to cut. He wants to have a chance to win, but it is the most difficult test we have in golf. We do not see him much, and it is his first time that it sees him. He will therefore learn a lot about himself, a lot about his game, and seeing this kind of golf is a great experience for him.”
The defending champion of the US Open, Bryson Dechambeau, also offered advice to Howell: “Be just grateful, that’s one thing.”
“I was so focused when I was 17 to be the best player I could be, I lost sight of how cool to travel the country at that time and play golf,” said Dechambeau, who competed in his first American open at 21 in 2015. “I lost a little.”
If Howell is cutting, he would become the third largest golfer to do so at the US Open since the Second World War. Beautiful Hossler (17, 3 months old) equaled on the 29th as an amateur in 2012; Michael Thorbjornsen (17 years, 8 months) was 79th in 2019.
Howell is 18 years old on June 28.
“It’s pretty cool for a parent to look at a child’s dream come true, you know?” Said Robb Howell. “This is what my wife and I can do right now before our eyes, which is quite special. All he always wanted to do was play golf, and he wanted to be a professional golfer all his life.”
