Mason Howell, the youngest player in the 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, won’t be playing the weekend, but he proved he belonged in the 156-player field.
The 17-year-old from Thomasville, Georgia, hovered around the cut line for more than half of the second round before ultimately being undone by a string of bogeys. Howell was in the middle of his final hole when second-round play was suspended because of lightning in the area. Howell had shot a +5 on the day and was sitting at 12-over for the tournament, with the projected cut sitting at +7.
Still, the incoming high senior recorded a better round than reigning U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, who shot 7-over in the second round and missed the cut with a +10 for the tournament. Howell also carded the same score over two days as two-time major winner Justin Thomas and finished better than three-time major winner Justin Rose, who finished 14-over for the tournament.
After a par on his opening hole of the second round, Howell knocked in a birdie on hole No. 2 and followed with some tough par saves. But things started to unravel on the seventh hole, which began a string of four bogeys in six holes. He recorded an impressive birdie on No. 14, but he followed that up with three consecutive birdies to push him well below the projected cut line.
Howell, who gained a berth in the 2025 U.S. Open by tying for first at the qualifying tournament in Atlanta, has much to look forward to: his senior year at Brookwood School, where he will seek another state title, before heading to the University of Georgia in 2026 to play golf for the Bulldogs.
USA TODAY Sports followed Howell’s second round at the U.S. Open. Scroll below for a full recap:
Mason Howell US Open score, results
Mason Howell shot a 7-over-par 77 in the first round, hovering right around the cut line. Keep track of his second-round scores here.
Howell doesn’t finish final hole as round is suspended
The second round of the 2025 U.S. Open was suspended due to lightning in the area, with Howell still needing to finish his final hole. Howell had played his second shot, an approach from the primary rough on the par 4, 498-yard 18th hole, onto the fairway, leaving him 103 yards to the hole. Howell was among a handful of golfers who could not finish the round due to weather.
Mason Howell cards third consecutive bogey
The final hour of Howell’s stay at Oakmont has not gone well. He recorded his third consecutive bogey, carding a 5 on the par 4, 305-yard 17th hole. Howell dropped to 5-over for the round and +12 for the tournament with one hole remaining.
Mason Howell records bogey on hole No. 16
The dream of playing the weekend in the U.S. Open basically came to an end for Howell after a bogey on the par 3, 238-yard 16th hole. That bogey dropped the incoming high school senior to 4-over for the round and +11 for the tournament with two holes remaining and the projected cut still sitting at +7.
Mason Howell drops another shot after bogey on hole No. 15
One hole after an impressive birdie, Howell recorded his fifth bogey of the day on the par 4, 489-yard 15th hole to drop back to +10 for the tournament and +3 for the round. With the projected cut at +7, Howell would need to birdie each of his three remaining holes.
Mason Howell bounces back with birdie on hole No. 14
After recording a par on the par 3, 161-yard 13th hole, Howell scored just his second birdie of the day on the 14th. Howell’s second shot from the fairway on the 368-yard, par 4 hole landed just three feet from the cup, and he tapped in for his first birdie since hole No. 2. Howell now stands at +2 for the round and +9 for the tournament. The projected cut remains at +7.
Bogeys piling up for Mason Howell
After recording a par on the 406-yard, par 4 11th hole, Howell found immediate trouble on the 12th hole. His tee shot on the par 5, 647-yard hole landed in the intermediate rough, and his second shot traveled just 33 feet into the primary rough. His third shot put him back on the fairway, and his fourth landed on the green, but he could not connect on a 36-yard par putt. He tapped in for yet another bogey – his fourth in six holes – dropping him to 3-over for round and +10 for the tournament.
Mason Howell bogeys again as struggles continue
Howell recorded his third bogey in the past four holes as he began his back nine. Howell could not save par on the 10th hole and had to tap in for bogey on the par 4, 472-yard 10th hole. That dropped him to +9 for the tournament (+2 for the round) and below the cut line, which has been fluctuating from +7 to +8.
Mason Howell drops another shot on hole No. 9
Howell, who was sitting right on the cut line at +7, but he dropped another shot after a bogey on the par 4, 465-yard ninth hole. It was his second bogey of the day and second in three holes. He nearly made another impressive par save, but his fourth shot came up just inches from the hole. The bogey drops him to +1 for round and +8 for the tournament, one stoke over the projected cut.
Mason Howell saves par again on hole No. 8
Another erroneous tee shot on the par 3 eighth hole left Howell in danger of dropping another stroke, but he followed that up with a brilliant second shot from the immediate rough to leave himself a 6-foot putt for par. Howell connected to remain at Even for the round and +7 for the tournament, right on the cut line.
Mason Howell in danger of missing cut
Howell hit an erroneous tee shot on the par 4, seventh hole which landed in the left bunker. But the 17-year-old nearly made a miraculous par when his nearly 49-yard putt stopped just inches before the hole. He settled for a tap-in bogey and dropped to +7 for the tournament and even on the day.
Mason Howell saves par on hole No. 6
On the par 3, 192-yard sixth hole, Howell’s tee shot landed in the rough, leaving him in a perilous position to get up and down. His second shot left him roughly 9 feet from the hole, but he sank the ensuing par putt to remain at +6 for the tournament. The current projected cut line is +7.
Mason Howell knocks in another par
Howell came up just short on a 21-foot, 6-inch putt for birdie on the 420-yard, par 4 fifth hole, but he knocked in a 3-foot par putt to remain -1 for the day and +6 for the tournament.
Mason Howell holds steady at hole No. 4
Howell missed a prime opportunity for a birdie at the par-5 fourth hole, holding steady at 6-over. Howell tapped in for par after his fourth shot left him a couple of feet from the hole.
Mason Howell pars hole No. 3
Howell remains at 6-over for the tournament after getting up and down on the par 4, 454-yard third hole.
Mason Howell birdies hole No. 2
Howell began with a par on his opening hole of the second round. He followed that up with a birdie on the par 4, 359-yard second hole to move to 6-over.
What time does Mason Howell tee off Friday: US Open start time
Mason Howell will be in the 2:31 p.m. grouping off No. 1 alongside Joakim Langergren and Chris Gotterup.
2:31 p.m. (1): Joakim Langergren, Mason Howell (a), Chris Gotterupson Howell (a), Chris Gotterup