THOMAS COUNTY, GA — As 18-year-old Mason Howell competes at the The Masters Tournament, Thomasville is coming together to support him.
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18-year-old Mason Howell is one of the 6 youngest players in the field at the Masters.
Fans across the city are watching closely to see if the Brookwood High School student does enough in Friday’s round to make the cut and advance into the weekend.
Inside a watch party at Tvelo Brewery, every television is locked on the tournament as people react to every shot, hoping the hometown teen can stay in contention.
"Yeah, just so Mason feels supported, and not just Mason, his parents, his family, knows that, hey, it's no tjust that small inner circle he has. I would also have the town, the city, specifically, Tvelo Brewery as well,and provide a place for people to come and gather and to watch," Maurice Jackson, co-owner of Tvelo Brewery, said.
Allen Nalls works downtown at The Tavern and said Howell is the talk of the town. Nalls played at Glen Arven three or four years ago and remembers seeing Howell practice.
"I knew Mason when he was 15, 16 years old, because he was a freshman or sophomore at Brookwood, and him and his buddies were out there every day practicing. So just to see him play at the Masters at 18 now, it's just insane," Nalls said.
Nalls also noted the significance of Howell's pairing at the tournament.
"And it's cool that he's playing with McIlroy. I think when he was six years old, McIlroy gave him a golf ball and ended up being like his hero. And now he's golfing with him at the Masters," Nalls said.
Howell is missing school right now, but his classmates are cheering him on. Tate Donaldson and Jarret Parr at Glen Arven — where Howell trains — say it feels unreal to see the amount of support building across Thomasville.
"I mean, just on the range, these men were just talking about how Mason's doing and how he's going to do today. And it's just really cool to see the community come together and support him. And they're playing it out of school. They're playing it in the common room. Everybody's got the 'Go Mason' t-shirt. Yeah, it's awesome," Donaldson said.
"We didn't even really have class yesterday. We just sat and watched Mason play. It was pretty good stuff," Parr said.
Parr recently experienced Howell's golf skills firsthand.
"I actually played a few holes with him a couple of weeks ago, and he played left-handed and beat me pretty badly actually," Parr said.
By the end of Friday’s round, the field will be cut down to the top players. If Howell makes it, he will continue into the weekend rounds, and the watch parties back home will continue as well.
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