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On Monday, hundreds of golfers descended upon ten different courses around North America in the hopes of clinching one of the 47 spots up for grabs at the U.S. Open. That included Mason Howell, a 17-year-old high schooler who will be heading to Oakmont next week thanks to the impressive show he put on.
One of the coolest parts of the U.S. Open is the fact that it is theoretically, well, open to any golfer who has a handicap of .4 or below. The majority of the people who end up in the 156-man field play the sport for a living, but it’s possible to join their ranks if you’re able to hold your own at the qualifying tournaments that comprise what is known as “Golf’s Longest Day.”
On Monday, ten different golf courses in eight states (along with Ontario) were the site of the qualifiers where participants had to complete two 18-hole rounds to help firm up the lineup for next week’s U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club.
That included a number of PGA Tour players who hadn’t been able to earn an automatic exemption, and notable names including Max Homa, Rickie Fowler, and Zach Johnson ended up on the outside looking in after failing to outlast the rest of the field.
Johnson’s failed bid transpired at Piedmont Driving Club in Atlanta, a venue where three amateurs ended up securing one of the five U.S. Open spots that the 83 entrants who competed there were vying for.
Former University of Illinois golfer Jackson Buchanan (who recently turned pro after wrapping up his college career) finished in a tie for first with a score of -18. He was matched by Mason Howell, an amateur who is planning to play college golf at the University of Georgia but won’t be making his Bulldogs debut for a couple of years when you consider he’s still a junior in high school.
“That was one of the greatest moments of my life.”
Nobody better than mom and dad to celebrate a trip to the U.S. Open! pic.twitter.com/RbkGqPD93Q
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 2, 2025
According to USA Today, Howell shot a nine-under 63 in both of the rounds he played on Monday and didn’t record a single bogey en route to clinching a spot in the U.S. Open.
The performance didn’t necessarily come out of nowhere when you consider he’s been playing in tournaments since he was six years old and was recently the low medalist while leading his high school team to its fourth Georgia state championship in five years.
He’ll have his work cut out for him against the best golfers on the planet at Oakmont, but he’s certainly going to be a name worth keeping an eye on moving forward.