THOMASVILLE – Brookwood senior Mason Howell can add hole-in-one to his growing list of golfing accolades.

Howell scored the ace on the second hole par-3 in the second round of the Brabazon Trophy in England on Friday. He sank the ace from 154 yards out with a pitching wedge. While he has recorded aces twice before, this one marked the first in competition.

“That was awesome,” Howell said. “It was great to have both of my parents there as well. When I hit it, I thought it was going to be pretty good, but you never expect it. When it went in, I just immediately turned around, gave my dad a big hug, and my mom was up by the green going crazy. It was a lot of fun.”

Howell tied for 29th at 4-over-par, which included a sparkling 64 in round three.

“(The event) was a little bit of a roller coaster. I made the cut on the number and then tied the course record in the third round,” Howell said. “I didn’t play too great the final round, but I think I was in the top 30.”

It has been an exciting month for Howell, who was an integral part of the Warriors’ state championship team. Howell was also one of five golfers to qualify at a local U.S. Open qualifying tournament at Hawkstone Country Club in Gainesville, Florida, May 8. He tied for first after finishing with a 7-under-par 64.

Howell advanced to the final stage of qualifying, scheduled for Monday, June 2, in Atlanta. He will be one of 60 golfers competing for three U.S. Open spots in the one-day, 36-hole tournament.

“Those last two rounds, and honestly, after the hole-in-one, my game has been trending in the right direction for this qualifier on Monday,” Howell said. “It’s one of those things where you can play your best golf and still not make it. You never know when it can be your day. I’m looking forward to it. It’ll be a good experience.”

The U.S. Open is slated for June 12-15 at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania.