Mason Howell of Tallahassee wins Future Masters Tournament in Alabama

The gold hardware of the Press Thornton Future Masters returned from Dothan, Alabama, in the hands of Mason Howell of Tallahassee.

Howell won the age 13-14 division by shooting an 8-under par 199 at the Dothan Country Club.

He joined the ranks of alumni and current PGA golfers Stewart Cink, Trevor Immelman, Scottie Scheffler, and Bubba Watson in winning the tournament.

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Taking the course

Howell first picked up a golf club at age 3 and has competed in tournaments since age 6, practicing at the Golden Eagle Country Club and Glen Arven Country Club in Thomasville, Georgia. 

"Tournament golf has been a big part of my life," Howell said. "I would encourage kids to start playing golf and get it into it because it's one of the greatest sports you can play."

Howell looks at PGA Tour golfer Harris English of Valdosta, Georgia, to add nuances to his growth on the course.

"I look up to Harris English since he's from the area of South Georgia," he said. "He's played a lot of tournaments in the area.

"Following in his footsteps would be great."

Entering the 2022 tournament

Howell has competed in the Future Masters tournament for six years.

On June 25, he finally broke through to claim the first-place trophy.

"That tournament is always ran great," Howell said. "Great staff, great people, and a great environment to have a tournament in.

"The city of Dothan is always so welcoming so it's always so fun to play in that tournament year in and year out. It felt amazing to win after playing in that tournament for so long and finally coming out on top. Especially with the history I had with the tournament."

Winning it all

After making three birdies in the front nine, Howell set a good precedent and gave himself some cushion for the rest of the match.

But entering the final round, he was faced with a three-hole deficit.

Howell ended up shooting a 5-under par 65 to win by four strokes over his contenders in a 67-67-65 outing.

"I knew I would have to get myself off to a hot start and not get too far behind," he said. "With not many holes to play, I didn't want to be chasing on the back nine.

"So I gave myself a nice cushion and that really helped in making up that ground."

Howell's parents, Robert and Lauren, were onsite to see it all as he captured his first Future Masters first-place victory.

"It was huge that my parents were there," he said. "They always give me the love and support.

"That's something that is special to me and I'm so grateful for my parents and the hard work that they put in for myself and my game."

Robert Howell is happy for Mason's golf journey ultimately translating to wins.

"His mom and I are so proud of him," Robert Howell said. "He's a very fine young man and works very hard in everything that he does.

"It's really satisfying for his hard work and dedication to the game of golf pay off." 

Gerald Thomas III covers FAMU athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at gdthomas@gannett.com or on Twitter @3peatgee.