A 17-year-old golfer will be part of the field at the 2025 U.S. Open next week, and he earned the spot with a truly remarkable stretch of play.
Mason Howell, a high school junior from Georgia, played his way into the U.S. Open final qualifying at Piedmont Driving Club in Atlanta. The event is known widely as “Golf’s Longest Day” because those who earn a spot play two rounds — or 36 holes — in a single day.
Howell shot 18-under for the 36 holes with a 63 in both rounds. He tied for first with University of Illinois senior Jackson Buchanan, who also shot 63-63. There were five qualifying spots available in a field that featured former Masters champion Zach Johnson and other professional golfers.
Howell’s final scorecard was a work of art:
A high-schooler went back-to-back 63's to get into the US Open. No big deal. pic.twitter.com/kDs1x7MOfD
— Monday Q Info (@acaseofthegolf1) June 2, 2025
The teenager called qualifying for the U.S. Open “one of the greatest moments of my life.”
“It was a roller coaster all day. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was nervous. Just hugging my mom and my dad walking off 18 green is just a feeling that I don’t know if I’ll feel again, but that was one of the greatest moments of my life.”
"That was one of the greatest moments of my life."
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 2, 2025
Nobody better than mom and dad to celebrate a trip to the U.S. Open! pic.twitter.com/RbkGqPD93Q
Howell’s lack of experience will now be put to the test at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa. Like past U.S. Opens, the tournament is expected to feature rough that is so thick it can be impossible to navigate at times. We have already heard some crazy rumors about the setup of the course.
Of course, simply playing in the U.S. Open will be the real treat for Howell. Not many 17-year-olds get to say they teed it up against Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and several other of the greatest golfers in the sport’s history.
