Howell’s US Amateur win steals a youthful mark from Tiger

The kid was very talented and very driven. Like Tiger Woods. Now the kid has his name on the Havemeyer Trophy as US Amateur champion. Like Tiger Woods.

Except there is one difference. Mason Howell won his title Sunday at an even earlier age than did Woods, Howell routing Jackson Herrington 7 and 6, Sunday, on the Olympic Club’s Lake Course, in their scheduled 36-hole final match, which in effect sadly turned out to be a mismatch.

But it didn’t detract from Howell, who only turned 18 late June, overtaking Woods as the third youngest amateur winner in the 125 years of the competition.

Howell will be returning for his senior year at Brookwood High in his hometown of Thomasville, Ga., down near the Florida border. After graduation, he’s already announced he will enroll at his home state school, the University of Georgia, where the golf team is only a shade less prominent than the football team.

What had been a week of spectacular golf, play so often going to the ultimate hole, came to a rather lackluster conclusion, with Howell overwhelming Jackson Harrington in the final.

Maybe it would not be unfair to say Harrington, who attends another South East conference school, Tennessee, lost the match as much as Howell won it.

“I just played terrible,” said Herrington. “I can't lie. I hit some good shots that didn't even end up close. I thought I flagged it, and it flew 10 yards too far. I didn't even know what I was doing, and I couldn't figure it out.”

Howell figured things out long ago. A multi-sport athlete, he gave up baseball and tennis to concentrate on golf. A good decision, it appears. 

If the competition on Sunday wasn’t what we had hoped, the weather was better than anyone might have expected. After a week of heavy fog and occasional light drizzle, on Sunday the sun finally emerged along the Northern California coastline. 

But for Howell, the shining moment had nothing to do with the weather.

“To have my name next to these other names (people like Tiger, Jack Nicklaus, and Bobby Jones) on this trophy is unbelievable,” said Howell. “To be next to somebody named Tiger, that’s an unreal feeling.” 

The youngest golfers to win the US  Amateur were, in order, Byeong Hun An (2009), 17 years, 11 months, and 13 days; Danny Lee (2008) at 18 years and 1 month; and Tiger Woods (1964), 18 years, 7 months, and 29 days. 

Now at 18 years and 1 ½ months, Howell has replaced Woods as the third youngest. 

“To be ahead of Tiger in something,” said Howell, “that’s something that not a lot of people can say.”

Howell did trail early in the match against Herrington, losing the first two holes. However, he then won three consecutive holes with pars.  

An eagle on the short par-4 7th pushed him 4 up, all but sealing the victory.

All things considered, you might even call it a Tigerish performance.