Mason Howell, a high-school senior, won one of golf’s biggest amateur events.
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MasonHowellwassupposedtobepreppingforthesecondweekofhissenioryearatBrookwoodSchoolinGeorgiaonSunday.Instead,hewashoistingaprestigiousgolftrophy.
Howell—ahighschooler—tookhomethewinattheU.S.AmateurindominantfashionSunday.Indoingso,hebecametheyoungestgolfertowintheeventsince2009andthethird-youngestgolferevertotakehomethetrophy.
ByeongHunAn,whowontheeventat17yearsoldin2009andDannyLee,whopickedupawinafterjustturning18in2008,aretheonlytwogolfersyoungerthanHowelltowintheevent.Howell’swinknockedTigerWoodsdowntofourthintheranking.WoodswontheU.S.Amateurat18yearsandsevenmonthsoldin1994.Howellis18yearsandone-and-halfmonthsold.
ItwasanexcellentperformancebyHowell,whodefeatedteenagegolferJacksonHerringtonbyalargemargin,pertheAssociatedPress.
Howellwonitwithapartohalvethe30thhole,endingthemost-lopsidedfinalsinceBrysonDeChambeaualsobeatDerekBard7and6in2015.
Howell’snamemightsoundfamiliartopassionategolffans