U.S. Amateur Champ Picks Rory McIlroy Over Tiger Woods as He Reveals ‘Full Circle’ Moment With Irish Pro

Nearly two weeks ago, Mason Howell became the third-youngest U.S. Amateur champion, surpassing Tiger Woods’ record in 1994. “To be next to somebody named Tiger, that’s unreal,” he exclaimed. Yet, while Howell was proud to be listed alongside Woods, his true idol growing up was someone else entirely, and now, that admiration is about to reach a “full-circle” moment. 

On a recent episode of Golf’s Subpar podcast, hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz sat down with Howell in a candid chat following his U.S. Amateur triumph at The Olympic Club in San Francisco on August 17th. While winning the prestigious title comes with a lot of perks, the greatest perk of all is an exemption into three of the following year’s major championships — the U.S. Open, the Open Championship, and the Masters. And Knost didn’t hesitate to point out the magnitude of Howell’s upcoming debut at Augusta in 2026, where he will be playing with Rory McIlroy on the first two days.

He told the Golf’s Subpar podcast, “Um, just hoping his drives won’t be taking too much aerial photos of mine as this is flying past,” when asked about his pairing with McIlroy. “But, um, I remember in 2016… I have one of his golf balls sitting in my room right now from the Tour Championship up in Atlanta. I went to watch, and he gave me his golf ball on like the fourth hole, and I’ve kept it ever since. Um, so it’ll be kind of a full circle moment,” Howell revealed the backstory with humility.

For a young golfer still in high school, this opportunity is more than symbolic. It’s not merely because of McIlroy’s magnitude as a golfer, but also because he was the very player who inspired Howell during his formative years. “He was like my favorite player growing up. Some people say like, Who do they look up to? like Tiger and people like that. Like Rory was my guy cuz he was the best golfer, like for me growing up,” Howell confessed with heartfelt sincerity. His victory, one among many this season, is a testament to years of hard work and the fulfillment of a childhood dream of playing with his idol.

Mason Howell’s win at the 2025 U.S. Amateur Championship was nothing short of remarkable. After earning medalist honors at the U.S. Junior Amateur at Trinity Forest and at the Junior PGA Championship, Howell stormed through the field at the U.S. Amateur, first defeating John Daly II in the quarterfinals and then defeating Jackson “The Fridge” Herrington 7-and-6 in a dominant 36-hole final at The Olympic Club’s Lake Course. At 18 years, one month, and three weeks old, Howell became the third-youngest champion in U.S. Amateur history, beating Tiger Woods’ record, who was 18 years, seven months during his first win in 1994.

The win grants Howell exemptions into three majors in 2026, besides the PGA Championship, provided he remains an amateur. But besides the exemptions and the prestigious Havemeyer trophy and a gold medal, Howell also earned his spot in the 2025 USA Walker Cup Team. 

Mason Howell is all set for the Walker Cup

Before he walks the fairways of Augusta with McIlroy, Mason Howell will represent Team USA at the 50th Walker Cup, set to take place on September 6th & 7th at the iconic Cypress Point Club in Pebble Beach, California. The winner of the U.S. Amateur automatically earns a spot at the Walker Cup, which is a prestigious biennial team competition that pits the top amateur golfers from the United States against those from Great Britain and Ireland.

The event is considered one of the highest honors in amateur golf, and on Sunday, August 17th, the USGA finalized its 10-man roster, naming Howell alongside fellow standout amateurs. Mason Howell will be one of the youngest members of the team as he is entering his senior year this fall and has committed to play at the University of Georgia in 2026.

Mason Howell will be playing the Walker Cup with one of the most impressive resumes on the team. In addition to his historic U.S. Amateur victory, he qualified for the 2025 U.S. Open by firing back-to-back bogey-free 63s in the Final Qualifying at Piedmont Driving Club in Atlanta. While he missed the cut and finished 117th, he still earned medalist honors. At the U.S. Junior Amateur at Trinity Forest, even though he lost in the opening round to U.S. National Junior Team member Henry Guan, he still managed to earn medalist honours with his performance. He also finished tied 9th at the Junior PGA Championship and claimed the Georgia High School State Championship.