Mason Howell takes lead at Junior Players heading into final round

 

Howell, one of the top-ranked players in the field at No. 14 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings, fired a second-round 2-under-par 70 with four birdies.

After a three-way tie for the lead following round one, he takes a one-stroke lead over the field with 18 holes remaining. After opening with a 3-under-par 69 in the first round, Howell sat in a three-way tie for first place.

The class of 2026 grad, starting on No. 1, had four birdies and was 3-under-par before making the turn. He carded a birdie on the par-5 No. 2 to get things going and another on the challenging par-4 No. 5. He made the turn after back-to-back birdies on Nos. 8 and 9.

Howell held his own on the back nine with seven straight pars before a three-putt bogey on No. 17. He ended the very steady round with a par on the par-4 No. 18.

Howell has had a strong 2024 season with two runner-up finishes at the RLX Ralph Lauren Junior Classic and the Wyndham Invitational presented by Odyssey. He will look to capture his first win of 2024 tomorrow.

 

"I think I will stick to the same game plan tomorrow, even with the Sunday pins," Howell said. "I just have to go after the pins I can go after and roll in putts. 

In second place, Hamilton Coleman of Augusta, Georgia, finished the second round with a score of 4-under-par 68 and the lowest round of the day.

Coleman, who experienced a roller coaster of a first-round which included four birdies, two bogeys, and a double-bogey, found more consistency within his swing during the second round. He carded par or better on 16 holes and made seven birdies.

The Georgia native is currently in solo second at 4-under-par 140 and only one shot back of the lead.

Coleman entered the second round of the tournament at even-par 72, and after cashing in seven birdies on the day, he has now earned himself the opportunity to tee off with the last group in the final round.

In third place is Logan Reilly of Lovettsville, Georgia, at 3-under-par 141. In fourth place is Luke Colton of Frisco, Texas, at 2-under-par 142. Kailer Stone of Alameda, California, rounds out the top-5 boys at 2-under-par 142.

Final-round tee times will run from 8:10-10:10 a.m. off Nos. 1 and 10 at TPC Sawgrass - THE PLAYERS Stadium Course on Sunday, September 1.

Thanks to a longtime partnership between the PGA TOUR and the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA), 78 of the world's top-ranked male junior golfers, invited through the Rolex AJGA Rankings, will compete in a 54-hole, stroke-play event mirroring THE PLAYERS Championship setup and hole locations.

The 18th annual Junior PLAYERS Championship presented by Rolex showcases the best of the next generation of future college and professional stars. To date, 61 past players have graduated to play in the PGA TOUR's PLAYERS Championship.

Justin Thomas became the first Junior PLAYERS Championship alumni to win the professional event in 2021. He competed as a junior in 2008 and 2009.

Scottie Scheffler was the second Junior PLAYERS competitor to win The PLAYERS in 2023 after competing three years in the event as a junior and being named the AJGA's 2013 Rolex Junior Player of the Year. Scheffler won the event again in 2024.