Mason Howell: a star in the making?
A standout name on the entry list of the KLM Open 2026 is Mason Howell. The 18-year-old American is a young amateur who will get the chance to showcase his talent in the Netherlands. Over the years, the KLM Open has provided many amateur players with a stage to present themselves on the international golf scene.
Aside from the many young Dutch amateurs, who earn their place through national tournaments or wildcards and see their dream of playing the KLM Open come true, tournament director Daan Slooter has always had an eye for promising international talent who are still in their amateur career but are already tipped for a bright future.
To name a few: Nicolas Colsaerts (1998), Graeme Storm (1999), Nick Dougherty (2000), Pablo Martin (2006), Thomas Detry (2009), Francesco Laporta (2010), David Law (2011), Joe Dean (2012), Dan Brown (2015), Eugenio Chacarra (2019) and Wenjyi Ding (2023). The latter is, incidentally, the only player in this list who made the cut on his KLM Open debut as an amateur.
Justin Rose
Justin Rose did not make his KLM Open debut as an amateur, but as a rookie professional in 1998. The Englishman had already made a huge impression at The Open at Royal Birkdale, finishing tied fourth as a 17-year-old amateur. A week later, he made his professional debut at the Hilversumsche Golf Club in the KLM Open. Despite a brilliant second round of 65, he missed the cut. It marked the beginning of a run of 21 consecutive missed cuts on tour—but as we know, things turned out rather well for Rose later on.
Passion for golf
While it is always difficult to predict the future, Mason Howell is widely tipped for a bright career. His passion for golf showed at an early age. At just four years old, he dressed up as Bobby Jones for Halloween. Less than a year later, he received his first set of golf clubs.
At the age of 14, he broke the course record at Glen Arven Country Club, his home course, with a score of 59. The story behind it: his parents had only allowed him to play nine holes, as the family was expected at a restaurant. But after nine holes, Mason was playing so well that he begged to finish his round. He was allowed to continue—and on the final hole, in front of a group of gathered members, he holed a putt for a 59.
A source of motivation
Last year, Howell became the third-youngest winner ever of the 2025 U.S. Amateur. That victory earned him starts at the U.S. Open, a spot on the Walker Cup team (where he won all three of his matches), and an invitation to this year’s Masters. At Augusta National, he played the first two rounds alongside the defending champion—traditionally a Masters honour—which in this case was Rory McIlroy.
A fun detail: during the Tour Championship, McIlroy once tossed a golf ball to a then 9-year-old Mason, who was watching from the crowd. Mason kept that ball as a source of motivation and inspiration, even carrying it in his bag during this year’s Masters.
“It was a very special moment for me to play with my idol,” Howell said. “Apart from making the cut, it was exactly what I had always dreamed of.”
After the KLM Open, Howell will not turn professional just yet. He will head to the University of Georgia, where he will combine studies and golf, not far from Augusta National—where he is sure to return many times in the future.
