THOMASVILLE – Another golf tournament, another top-5 finish for Thomasville’s Mason Howell.
The Brookwood junior competed in the 106th Western Junior Championship this week at Ruth Lake Country Club in Hinsdale, Illinois, and tied for fifth at 2-under-par over the four-day event. He talked about the tournament where he shot a 72 in round one, 68 in round two, 69 in round three and 69 in round four on Thursday.
“It was a great tournament, a lot of fun,” Howell said. “I felt like I played great golf all week. I had a great battle the first round in some difficult conditions with the wind. It was probably gusting up to 35 miles per hour. I really tried to keep my composure and stay mentally tough. I finished that round out strong. The next three rounds I just played real steady golf, trying to give myself as many looks as possible. I was able to scrape out three solid rounds to get myself a top-5 finish. On a difficult golf course, I was definitely happy with how I played.”
Howell has had a busy few weeks on the links. Two weeks ago, he advanced in local qualifying for the U.S. Amateur and followed with a second-place finish in the Wyndham Invitational at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina, the following week.
“I definitely feel like there’s some things I could be doing better, but I’m real happy with where my game is right now,” Howell said. “I feel like I’m playing some of the best golf I have played in the past three years. That’s a great feeling. I have a couple of more tournaments coming up, so I hope to continue that good play into those.”
The busy summer continues for the Brookwood junior. Howell will play in Farmingdale, New York, next week at Bethpage Black Course.