Mason Howell became the third-youngest U.S. Amateur champion in the tournament’s 125-year history as he defeated Jackson Herrington 7 and 6 in the 36-hole finale on Sunday at The Olympic Club in San Francisco.
The 18-year-old Howell, who’ll soon start his senior year at Brookwood High School in Thomasville, Ga., secured the most lopsided U.S. Amateur victory since Bryson DeChambeau won by an identical score in 2015.
Howell recorded three birdies and one eagle during the first 18 holes to build a 4-up lead over the 19-year-old Herrington, a University of Tennessee sophomore. After a brief break, Howell pushed his lead to 6-up through 21 holes. He closed out the match on the 30th hole.
“It’s been a long week,” Howell said, according to Golfweek. “It feels like I’ve been here a month.”
In addition to winning the Robert T. Jones Jr. Memorial Trophy, Howell secured invitations to next year’s Masters, U.S. Open and Open Championship. Howell qualified for this year’s U.S. Open at Oakmont, but did not make the cut.
“I think he came in here with a little bit of something to prove,” Howell’s father, Robert, told Golfweek. “I see him play phenomenal golf all the time. It’s just putting it together time after time after time, and after seeing what he did at the sectional U.S. Open qualifier, I know he’s got what it takes to play out here.”
Howell, who started playing high school golf in sixth grade, has committed to enroll at Georgia in the fall of 2026.
–Field Level Media
