Masters 2026: Mason Howell's journey to the majors—'I hope this summer is a glimpse of my future'

The PGA Tour broadcast was always on in my dad's study on Sundays. He’d get a fire going, sit in his leather chair, and I’d climb into his lap and watch for hours. I was fascinated. My parents bought me a set of plastic clubs, and every time my dad went to Glen Arven Country Club in Thomasville, Ga., he’d bring me along in the cart to hit a few.

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I pretty much tried every sport—tennis, football, baseball, soccer, basketball—but quit them all when I was 12. Whenever I had practice, I’d come home disappointed that I didn’t have time to get to the golf course.

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We moved to Tallahassee when I was 10 because my sister was an elite swimmer.We were commuting there for her training all the time. I found a great group of guys and played for the varsity golf team as a sixth grader. Hanging around older boys pushed me to hit it farther and better.

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On the weekends, we’d come back to Glen Arven.I had so many friends there. I don’t know if I’d have picked golf if I had to do it alone. I was also seeing the teacher there, Billy Connally. He was Harris English’s coach, and he’s still my coach today.

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Harris was the guy we all looked up to.He’s so mellow. He was big on telling us to have fun with our buddies, to compete with each other and always make sure there was something on the line, like the loser had to do push-ups or buy the winner snacks. It’s important to learn proper technique, of course, but playing with the sole purpose of beating your friends teaches creativity in ways you never learn on any range.

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When I was 14, one afternoon I went to Glen Arven and ended up in a six-some with five Division I college golfers.My parents had told me to only play nine because we had a dinner reservation. The owner of the restaurant was hosting us, so we couldn’t be late. When my dad arrived to pick me up, I begged to stay. I had just shot 28.

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Word got around the club. A small gallery formed, and it got intense.I made a 30-footer on 18 to shoot 59. That was the moment I knew not only could I take it low, but I could translate it into competition. I had really felt the nerves.

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The next year we moved back to Georgia permanently.I started traveling beyond the southeast for tournaments. The summer of 2025 kicked off with 36 holes that changed my life. In the U.S. Open qualifier in Atlanta, I got off to a great start and shot 63. Luckily, I had only half an hour to eat a sandwich and get back to the tee. I was nervous but kept my momentum by trying to feel like the first round had never ended. I shot another 63 and won the qualifier.

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I arrived at Oakmont on Sunday. I tried to imagine the empty grandstands full of people,but no amount of visualizing prepares you for what it’s actually like. I was on the practice green with Bryson DeChambeau. People were crowded against the ropes, yelling his name and taking photos. I’d never experienced anything like it. When he left to go to the range, not a single person stayed. My caddie and I laughed—at least I had some quiet to practice. I missed the cut, but playing a U.S. Open course gave me confidence when I got to the U.S. Amateur at Olympic.

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I ended up in a 20-for-17 playoff for match play and got through as the No. 63 seed.No big deal. I had been the No. 1 seed at the U.S. Junior a few weeks earlier and been knocked out in the first round. I had to grind over every shot that week; my shortest match still went 16 holes. My buddies flew out to watch the finals. We had to wait three hours after our first 18 because of the broadcast schedule. Having them to hang with was exactly what I needed. I won 7 and 6, and seven weeks after turning 18 became the third-youngest winner of the U.S. Am.

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Life got crazy after that.I was so exhausted, I felt like my body was going to give out. I did media at home and then tried to get ready to represent Team USA at the Walker Cup at Cypress Point and in Singapore for the World Amateur Team Championship. I was not the ideal student, but my teachers were patient.

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This season, I have starts in three majors beginning with the Masters. I hope this summer is a glimpse of my future after the University of Georgia, where I’ll enroll as a freshman in the fall. Five of us from that Glen Arven group will play DI next year. I think I’ll major in financial planning. My dream is the PGA Tour, and after playing on the Walker Cup, I want to be a part of a Ryder Cup team. I love team golf because it feels similar to the golf I play at home, going out with buddies, trying to make as many birdies as possible.

MORE: Teenager Mason Howell overtakes Tiger Woods as the U.S. Amateur’s third-youngest winner

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