Congratulations to Mason Howell of Thomasville on capturing the 125th U.S. Amateur Championship on Aug. 17 at The Olympic Club in San Francisco!
Howell defeated Jackson Herrington of Tennessee 7-and-6 in the 36-hole championship match to etch his name in U.S. Amateur history as the third-youngest winner!
The 18-year-old was 1-down after two holes to Herrington, but the University of Georgia commit would go on to win five of the next seven holes to go 4-up through the front nine. Howell remained steady and stayed four-up after 18 holes before the match took a break for lunch.
When the match continued, Howell never looked back. Victories on the 19th and 21st holes gave Howell a commanding 6-up advantage and the high school senior continued playing solid golf to keep Herrington at bay.
“My name next to these other names on this trophy is unbelievable," Howell said per the USGA. "To be next to somebody named Tiger, that’s an unreal feeling. To be ahead of Tiger in something, that’s something that not a lot of people can say."
After surviving a 20-for-17 playoff just to get into match play at the U.S. Amateur, Howell defeated four top-30 amateurs in the world (Nos. 2, 6, 19 and 29) on his way to winning the prestigious championship. With his victory, Howell became the third Georgian to win the U.S. Amateur joining the legendary Bobby Jones (1924, 1925, 1927, 1928, 1930) and Steve Melnyk (1969).
Along with etching his name on the famed Havemeyer Trophy, the perks Howell receives for being champion is quite the list:
- Exemption into 2026 U.S. Open Championship
- Exemption into 2026 The Open Championship
- Likely invitation to the 2026 The Masters Tournament
- Spot on Team USA for the 2025 Walker Cup
Howell became the second Georgian to claim a USGA title in 2025 joining future Georgia teammate Hamilton Coleman of Augusta, who won the U.S. Junior Amateur in late July at Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas. The duo are slated to be roommates in Athens.
Howell is the eighth Georgian to win a USGA title since 2019 - Bob Royak (2019 U.S. Senior Amateur), Thienna Huynh and Sara Im (2022 U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball), Rusty Strawn (2022 U.S. Senior Amateur), Sarah Gallagher (2023 U.S. Senior Women's Amateur), Louis Brown (2024 U.S. Senior Amateur) and Coleman (2025 U.S. Junior).
For more information and full results from Howell's victory, click the appropriate buttons below! All photos included are via the USGA.
