SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA | Eighteen-year-old Mason Howell defeated Jackson Herrington, 7 and 6, to win the 125th U.S. Amateur and hoist the Havemeyer Trophy at the Olympic Club. He became the third-youngest U.S. Amateur champion ever and joined Steven Fox (2012) as the only players to win after qualifying for match play as the 63rd seed. Now, the Thomasville, Georgia, resident will represent the United States in the Walker Cup at Cypress Point.
“It’s been a long week,” Howell said. “It feels like I’ve been here a month. But to be holding this [trophy] right now, it’s truly surreal.”
Last month, Howell was the medalist at the U.S. Junior Amateur before he lost in the first round of match play. At the U.S. Amateur, he almost didn’t even make match play, shooting 70-73 (+3) in stroke-play qualifying to get into a 20-for-17 playoff. Despite making bogey on the second playoff hole, he got in.
Howell had plenty more adversity to overcome in match play. He trailed in five of his six matches, with his quarterfinal against John Daly II the only one in which he never trailed. Ranked 362nd in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, Howell beat four top-30 players on his way to the final: Tommy Morrison (No. 6), Ben James (No. 2), Max Herendeen (No. 19) and Eric Lee (No. 29).
Preston Stout claimed medalist honors and the No. 1 seed in match play. After a first-round 67 on the Ocean Course, the Oklahoma State player shot a 5-under 65 on the Lake Course, which played about a stroke tougher than the Ocean during stroke play.
The 20-for-17 playoff to determine the final spots in match play produced more great storylines than just Howell.
Jimmy Abdo is a rising sophomore at Division III Gustavus Adolphus College and entered the championship ranked 4,292nd in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. After surviving the playoff and qualifying as the No. 61 seed, Abdo made a run all the way to the quarterfinals before losing to Herrington.
“Hopefully something good comes out of this,” Abdo said. “I feel like I put my name out there and played some really good golf for everyone to see.”
Niall Shiels Donegan, a recent University of North Carolina transfer from Northwestern, was another playoff survivor, claiming the No. 49 seed. While he’s Scottish-born, he grew up in Mill Valley, California, and it was clear to see that he was a crowd favorite.
Ranked 91st in the WAGR, Shiels-Donegan beat four top-30 players on his way to the semifinals: Luke Poulter (No. 28), Christiaan Maas (No. 9), Stout (No. 4) and Jacob Modleski (No. 15). Every time he hit a good shot or dropped a putt, the whole course seemed to erupt in cheers of “Niall! Niall!”
“There was a little too much of ‘I love you, Niall,’ but any form of love, I’ll take it,” he said after winning his quarterfinal match against Modleski in 19 holes. “It was all positive stuff. I can’t thank them enough for making the trek out here.”
Herrington defeated Shiels-Donegan in the semifinals. On his way to the semis, the University of Tennessee sophomore beat Chase Nevins (1 up), Brady Siravo (4 and 3), Caleb Bond (20 holes) and Abdo (4 and 2).
In his match against Shiels-Donegan, Herrington was 2 down after two holes but quickly came back. With the match tied through 17 after Shiels-Donegan won the 16th and 17th holes, Herrington birdied the 18th hole to advance.
In Sunday’s scheduled 36-hole final, Herrington won the second hole to go 1 up but then Howell took control, winning the next three in a row with pars. On the short par-4 seventh hole, Howell drove the green and sank his eagle putt to take a 3-up lead.
At the end of the first 18, Howell was 4 up and did not let up after the break, winning two of the first three holes with pars to go 6 up. Herrington simply didn’t have his A-game, and Howell closed out the match on the 30th hole.
“[I learned I have] a lot of resilience,” Herrington said. “I stuck it out and didn’t give up. I never quit trying, I just never got anything going my way. So I learned a lot about myself this week.”
Despite coming up short, Herrington’s runner-up finish earned him an exemption into the next two U.S. Amateurs and an exemption into the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. He’ll also receive an invitation to the 2026 Masters Tournament.
Howell’s victory earned him a 10-year exemption into the U.S. Amateur and an exemption into the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Both are dependent on him remaining an amateur. Like Herrington, he’ll be exempt into the 2026 U.S. Open and invited to the Masters.
Finally, Howell is an automatic pick for the U.S. Walker Cup team at Cypress Point. After the conclusion of the championship, U.S. captain Nathan Smith revealed that Tommy Morrison, Jase Summy, Stewart Hagestad and Jacob Modleski will join Howell and previously named team members Preston Stout, Jackson Koivun, Ben James, Ethan Fang and Michael La Sasso on the squad that will face Great Britain and Ireland on Sept. 6-7.
Everett Munez