SAN FRANCISCO — Your eyes perceive the two U.S. Amateur finalists, Mason Howell and Jackson Herrington, in different ways. Howell is a 6-foot-4, long-armed 18-year-old, whereas Herrington has a robust, country-built physique, partly due to his life on a farm in Dickson, Tenn. However, the ball doesn’t distinguish between them, as both players have remarkable speed and are among the two tallest players in the starting field of 312 at The Olympic Club.
On Sunday, the bombers will compete in the 36-hole final on the Lake Course. If Howell emerges victorious, he will surpass Tiger Woods to become the third-youngest player to claim the Havemeyer Trophy in the 125th iteration of the USGA’s oldest men’s tournament.
If the main focus in both professional and amateur golf over the past few years has been about achieving greater speed, the final match clearly shows that this trend is here to stay. However, if you look past the ball speeds exceeding 185 mph from the two finalists, you’ll see that the abilities which have brought both players to an elite championship level are not related to speed.
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Get the ball into play off the tee and avoid hitting it short, which are the two lessons Howell picked up by observing top players as he scored 77-76 and failed to make the cut at the U.S. Open in June. Howell, from Thomasville, Ga., carded two 63s during Final Qualifying to earn his first major championship appearance but ultimately struggled to keep the ball in the fairway while competing at Oakmont.
Mason Howell takes his second attempt on the ninth hole in the semifinals of the 2025 U.S. Amateur Championship.
Chris Keane
“I’ve been really good at locating a fairway-finder, a consistent ball that I know is landing on the fairway, especially with thicker conditions like this, there must be a tee shot that you can count on,” Howell said following his 3-and-2 semifinal victory over Oklahoma State’s Eric Lee.
It’s been the fairway-finder, combined with a new approach to match play, that Howell attributes to his strong performance in the Bay Area. Following the U.S. Open, Howell carded two 67s to secure medalist honors at the U.S. Junior Amateur but was defeated by the No. 64 seed in the first round of match play. Howell acknowledges that he had “been in a bit of a match-play slump” coming into this week, and that he has adopted a more cautious strategy—focusing on finding fairways and playing safely around the green.
It’s a significant amount of knowledge gained from someone who is still more than a year away from starting college at the University of Georgia, where he has already made a verbal commitment. Along with his innate athletic ability, clearly seen in his smooth, whip-like golf swing, Howell attributes much of his achievements to his instructor based in Georgia, Bill Connally, the director of golf at Glen Arven Country Club.
He’s always been involved with my swing. I might have a slightly different swing, but he never tries to make it flawless,” said Howell, who celebrated his 18th birthday in June. “Golf isn’t about perfection, and as my body has developed, I’ve maintained that consistency.
Similar to Howell, Herrington, 19, has consistently had high clubhead speed (often exceeding 130 mph), but his success in the championship has been driven by enhancements in his putting, physical conditioning, and mental approach. “Don’t let your mind get to the hole before the ball,” is the guidance Herrington’s mental coach, Steven Yellin, shared with him this week, which is part ofHerrington’s broader approach is to switch his mind “off” just before he strikes the ball.
Jackson Herrington rejoices with his caddie following a successful putt that secured his victory in the semifinals of the 2025 U.S. Amateur.
Chris Keane
I feel like I can play a bit more freely. My goal was to reach the Masters,” said Herrington, a freshman at Tennessee, regarding his strategy for the championship match following his victory over local favorite Niall Shiels Donegan 1-up in the semifinals with a birdie on the 18th hole. “The ultimate goal is to win, but I’m here to enjoy myself. I can go out and play more freely, see what happens, and play my game.
Another factor that could help Herrington perform more freely in the championship match is his prior experience in a USGA final. He teamed up with young star Blades Brown and reached the runner-up position in the 2024 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball. “We were fortunate to go pretty far and gain insight into the pressure involved,” Herrington mentioned.
On Sunday at The Olympic Club, we’ll find out which player has effectively utilized their recent lessons to claim the U.S. Amateur title. After all, even this group understands that it’s not solely about speed.
