AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Mason Howell swung so hard on the first tee at Augusta National, his hat flew off.
The 18-year-old high school senior is skipping school to play in the Masters, paired with defending champion Rory McIlroy for the first two rounds.
“I mean, I was going to swing out of my shoes to see if I could cover that right bunker. It was pretty funny,” Howell said.
For years, Howell has dreamed about Augusta National. This week, he’s living it next to one of the players he grew up admiring most.
“Rory was one of my idols growing up, so it’ll be a super special moment for me. I can’t oggle at his game too much. I got to focus on myself. It’ll be fun,” Howell said.
For Howell, this week actually began years ago when McIlroy tossed him one of his golf balls. It’s in his bag with him now.
“He gave me at the TOUR Championship when I was 9. So I’ve kept it ever since,” Howell said.
Then came the first tee, where dreams meet adrenaline.
“I was on the first tee and couldn’t feel my arms. It was pretty funny. Being able to walk off that tee — and I didn’t hit a good shot, but walking off that tee laughing with Rory, that was pretty funny,” Howell said.
The easy conversation and laughs between the star and the amateur looked natural. Howell said McIlroy was also a teacher the whole way.
“When he was in trouble he took his medicine and then, you know, by that he was able to go up there and make a lot of putts,” Howell said Thursday.
McIlroy knows what moments like this can mean, so he knows the importance of paying it forward.
“The incredible thing about our game is because our careers are long, so many generations overlap. I remember playing the first two rounds of the 2010 US Open with Tom Watson. That’s incredible to think about now,” McIlroy said.
For Mason Howell, that memory starts with a golf ball and a first tee swing so big, even his hat couldn’t hang on.
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