UGA golf commit Mason Howell has quickly become a name to know among up-and-coming golfers. His latest performance not only has him on the cusp of winning the 125th U.S. Amateur Championship, but it’s also punched his ticket to the 2026 Masters Tournament.

Howell defeated Eric Lee 3-and-2 on Saturday to advance to the U.S. Amateur championship match at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. Howell’s play not only pits him against Tennessee freshman Jackson Herrington for 36 holes on Sunday, but it was enough to earn Howell a Masters invitation.

Sunday’s championship match will get underway at 1:15 p.m. ET.

A victory on Sunday would give Howell the Havemeyer Trophy along with exemptions into the 2026 Masters, U.S. Open, and Open Championship. The winner would join the likes of Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Viktor Hovland to have captured the amateur championship. 

Howell is no stranger to playing on a big stage. He was the youngest player at this year’s U.S Open thanks to firing a 64 in local qualifying before co-medaling at final qualifying with a pair of 63s.

Howell is currently ranked No. 20 in the American Junior Golf Association. He captured the individual state title at the Georgia Independent Athletic Association (GIAA) championship in April and helped his school win its fourth state championship in the past five years.

Howell has been committed to Georgia since September 2024. The Thomasville native comes from a family of Dawgs, as his sister is currently enrolled, his mother is an alum, and his father graduated from UGA Law.