Fourteen years after Rory McIlroy handed a golf ball to a 9-year-old Mason Howell at East Lake, the two will tee off together in Thursday’s opening round at the Masters. Howell, now 18 and playing in his first Masters, said he expects to be nervous but excited.
The ball never left Howell’s life. He kept it in his bedroom for years, then brought it to Augusta National this week and carried it in his bag during practice rounds ahead of his debut. “Rory was one of my idols growing up, so it’ll be super special for me,” Howell said, adding that he cannot spend too much time admiring McIlroy’s game because he has to focus on his own.
The pairing comes under one of the Masters’ oldest traditions, which puts the defending champion alongside the reigning U.S. Amateur winner. McIlroy is back as the champion after beating Justin Rose in a playoff last year to claim his first green jacket and complete the career Grand Slam. Thursday also gives him a chance to become the first back-to-back Masters winner since Tiger Woods in 2001-02.
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Howell earned his place in the field last year, competed at the U.S. Open and signed to play at the University of Georgia, even though he will not graduate high school until next month. He is one of six amateurs in the field and is trying to become the fourth player this century to make the cut at Augusta National before turning pro, a test that will begin with McIlroy beside him.
He has not gone through the week alone. Harris English played multiple practice rounds with Howell, and a group of teammates, teachers and family has followed him around the course. His caddie is Jimmy Gillam, his Brookwood School coach, while Howell’s sister Meg said the speed of his rise has been hard to miss. “It’s crazy to look up to your younger brother so much, but he’s doing such a good job,” she said. “The maturity level he’s had has been awesome.”
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English, too, saw enough to make a prediction: “He’s got the game for it,” he said. “I’m looking for big things this week.” He added that making the cut would be a major step and that Howell could finish low amateur. Howell offered a simpler approach. “I know I’ll be pretty nervous, but excited at the same time,” he said. “So if I keep a smile on my face, I think the rest will take care of itself.”
