Brookwood’s Howell finishes second at Wyndham
THOMASVILLE — Temperatures are heating up across the Southeast and so is Mason Howell’s golf game.
The Brookwood junior advanced in local qualifying for the U.S. Amateur last week and followed with a second- place finish in the Wyndham Invitational at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina, this week.
He finished with a thirdround 67 to tie for second at 4-under-par, two strokes behind first place.
“I feel like I played really well. I hit the ball great. The course is very difficult,” Howell said. “I didn’t putt quite how I wanted to, but I was able to give myself a bunch of opportunities. I cashed some in, and there were some I wished I had back. It was still a great week overall.”
Howell shot a 68 in round one, 71 in round two and 67 in round three. He closed the tournament strong as well with birdies in three of his final four holes.
“I was talking with my mom, and I was like, ‘I may be out of it for the lead, but I at least want to see if I can finish on the podium.’ I got hot coming in, hit some really good shots and made really good putts,” Howell said. “I was happy to finish the way I did on those tough stretch of holes.”
Howell wasn’t the only Brookwood standout to play well at the Wyndham this week. Teammate J.D. Culbreth finished one shot back at 3-under-par.
“It was a lot of fun. J.D. and I hung out all week. We played pool at the hotel in our downtime. We had some competition there,” Howell said. “It’s always competition on and off the golf course between us two.”
Howell will travel to the Western Junior Championship in Chicago next week. After a couple of off weeks, he’ll play in the Georgia State Amateur in Augusta in mid-July before the final stage of the U.S. Amateur at the end of July.
“I’m looking forward to these upcoming tournaments, definitely have a lot of confidence going into them. My mindset is to go into each one with a winning attitude. Stay patient and know that good things will come as long as you just trust in your game,” Howell said.
Brookwood School
Located in Thomasville, GA, Brookwood School is a private school for grades JK-12. Students benefit from a challenging academic program, fine and performing arts, competitive athletics, and a wide selection of extracurricular activities.