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see also: Mason Howell, The Walker Cup, Lahinch Golf Club
Fresh off his U.S. Amateur triumph, Howell has delivered two full points at Cypress Point—highlighted by a walk-off eagle
Pebble Beach, Calif. • 50th Walker Cup at Cypress Point
At just 18 years old, Mason Howell is living the kind of golf summer most players can only dream about. Three weeks ago, the teenager from Thomasville, Georgia shocked the amateur golf world by winning the 125th U.S. Amateur Championship at The Olympic Club. Now, under the sun-soaked skies of Cypress Point, he has already delivered two full points for Team USA at the 50th Walker Cup—including a walk-off eagle that will echo through Walker Cup lore.
Howell’s U.S. Amateur run was improbable on paper. Ranked No. 362 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and seeded 63rd out of stroke play, he survived a 20-for-17 playoff just to make match play. By Sunday, he was hoisting the Havemeyer Trophy after a dominant 7&6 victory in the final. At 18 years, one month, and three weeks old, he became the third-youngest U.S. Amateur champion in history, joining a roll call that includes Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods. The victory guaranteed him exemptions into the 2026 Masters, 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, and likely the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale—not to mention his automatic place on the USA Walker Cup team.
For Captain Nathan Smith, Howell’s win at Olympic was a gift. The automatic spot put one of the game’s hottest young players into the lineup, and Howell has already justified the selection. In Sunday foursomes, he and Jacob Modleski defeated GB&I’s Eliot Baker and Stuart Grehan 3&1, with Howell sealing the match on Cypress Point’s iconic par-5 17th. His one-hop bounce into the cup for eagle sent a shockwave across the course. “Did that go in?” Howell asked as the crowd erupted. It was his latest chapter in a week that already included twos at the 15th and 16th holes during earlier play—and even an albatross at the par-5 2nd during a practice round.
Cypress Point is a venue where history hangs in the air, from Alister MacKenzie’s daring design to the 1981 Walker Cup that featured future major champions. For Howell, producing magic on holes like 15, 16, and 17 places him instantly in the conversation of iconic Walker Cup moments. He may be the youngest member of Team USA, but his fearless play has made him a leader.
Howell’s career trajectory has been breathtaking. He once shot a 59 at Glen Arven Country Club, his home course in Georgia. He claimed the Future Masters (13–14 division) in 2022, the Billy Horschel Junior Championship in 2023, and earlier this year led his high school team to another Georgia state title. His U.S. Open Final Qualifying performance—back-to-back 63s to become the youngest player in the Oakmont field—signaled his readiness for the spotlight. At Cypress Point, he is proving that Oakmont and Olympic were just the beginning.
For now, the focus remains squarely on helping the USA capture the Walker Cup. But with major exemptions secured and a college career at the University of Georgia on the horizon, Howell’s future is wide open. As for this week at Cypress Point, he has already ensured that his name will be linked with the iconic coastal stretch of 15, 16, and 17—a stage where he has thrived unlike anyone else in the field.
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