Mason Howell, 18, Conquers the US Amateur: The Youngest Champion Since 2009

Mason Howell Conquers the U.S. Amateur

Young golfer Mason Howell, a native of Georgia, capped off an exceptional summer by winning the U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club, just two months after his participation in the U.S. Open. With only 18 years old, Howell showed his talent by defeating Jackson Herrington, also a teenager, in the 36-hole final, with a score of 7 and 6. This victory makes him the youngest champion since Byeong Hun An triumphed at 17 years old in 2009. Howell secured his victory with a par on the 30th hole, marking the most uneven final since 2015, when Bryson DeChambeau also defeated Derek Bard by 7 and 6. The victory earns Howell a pass to next year’s Masters, U.S. Open, and British Open. This U.S. Amateur final was the first to feature two teenagers since 2013. Howell, with remarkable maturity, made crucial putts, while Herrington made mistakes. Howell won 11 holes, eight of them with pars, and reacted effectively after losing each of the four holes he conceded, winning the next on each occasion.

Mason Howell, a high school senior, won the U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club. He is the youngest champion since Byeong Hun An in 2009. Howell stood out by qualifying for the U.S. Open with rounds of 63-63. Although he didn’t make the cut at Oakmont, he took advantage of that experience at The Olympic Club. He was one of the 17 players who advanced from a tiebreaker to reach the match phase, where he won all six matches. In the first 18 holes, Howell won five of six holes in the first half, including an eagle on the 7th hole, achieving a four-hole lead. He extended his lead to five with a birdie on the 16th hole, thanks to his consistent putting game. Herrington reduced the difference with a birdie on the 18th hole, but then made bogeys on the first three holes after lunch, which cost him the chance to come back. Howell is preparing for his final year of high school before starting his university studies at the University of Georgia in 2026. Herrington, 19, is about to begin his second year at the University of Tennessee.

This is the fourth U.S. Amateur to be held at The Olympic Club, where Charles Coe (1958), Nathaniel Crosby (1981), and Cole Knost (2007) also won.