Mason Howell: Future Georgia Bulldog to Play Masters with Defending Champion Rory McIlroy AUGUSTA — In 2016, Rory McIlroy handed a golf ball to a 9-year-old boy at the Tour Championship at East Lake. Mason Howell kept the ball in his bedroom for years. This week, the 18-year-old from Thomasville brought it with him to Augusta National, carrying it in his bag during practice rounds ahead of his Masters debut. Howell and McIlroy will tee off together in Thursday’s opening round, following the tradition of grouping the defending Masters champion with the reigning U.S. Amateur winner. Howell plans to use McIlroy’s ball to break the tension. “I’m going to say, ‘I’m going to play the first hole with a Nike,’ which I’m not,” he said. “It says ‘Rors’ on the side. That would be a power move.” When asked about playing with Howell, McIlroy reflected on his experience playing two rounds at the 2010 U.S. Open with eight-time major winner Tom Watson. “I think that’s the incredible thing about our game,” McIlroy said, “is because our careers are long, so many generations overlap.” McIlroy defeated Justin Rose last year in a playoff to secure his first green jacket and complete the career Grand Slam of winning all four majors. Howell, meanwhile, is just getting started. Last year, he competed at the U.S. Open, earned his spot in the Masters field and signed to play at the University of Georgia. On Thursday and Friday, he’ll compete alongside one of the greatest in history. “Rory was one of my idols growing up, so it’ll be super special for me,” said Howell, who will graduate high school next month. “I can’t ogle at his game too much. I got to focus on myself.#rory_mcilroy #augusta_national #mason_howell #thomasville #brookwood_school
