Howell finds silver lining in weekend
National teaches tough lessons
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For nearly six months since the end of last season, Charles Howell has been singularly focused on reaching this day.
That Sunday at the Masters Tournament ended with him tied for 30th and left the Augusta native with mixed emotions. He played extraordinary just to qualify, but he never gained any momentum to contend.
"Unfortunately in golf you can't set off a timer for when you're going to play your best," Howell said. "You do all the things you can to peak at the right time, but in golf it's tough to do that. At some point things have to go your way."
Howell shot birdie-free 74 on Sunday, failing to break par in any of his four rounds but certainly atoning for his last-place finish a year ago.
"It was a fine week," he said. "I come from here knowing the things I need to do to improve to play better here in the future.
"I'm only 27, and I've got a lot more Masters ahead of me. The best thing I could do this weekend was play the golf course and learn as much as I can. Because you can't play the golf course in conditions like this except when you're playing the tournament. So this weekend was much more of a learning weekend for me than it was trying to contend or doing anything in the golf tournament."
Howell couldn't make anything happen this week under conditions he's never experienced in more than 100 lifetime rounds at Augusta National Golf Club. He made six birdies and 19 bogeys.
"This golf course played hard all week, obviously," Howell said. "There were some good hole locations out there that give you a chance to make birdie. I just needed to putt a little better. I had plenty of chances; I just didn't hole the putts."
For all the criticism Augusta National has taken his week for the difficulty of the course, Howell said the high scores are understandable.
"The weather was a key factor," Howell said. "Anytime it's in the mid-50s and gusty, I don't know what you can do to make the golf course easy. What are you supposed to do when it does that? I don't think anyone really knew, because we haven't seen the course firm and fast for so long."
With the Masters completed, Howell is taking a two-week vacation to wind down and refocus for the next chapter in his season. He'll return to action at the Byron Nelson Classic near Dallas to kick off a run through three more majors and a potential second career berth on the U.S. Presidents Cup team.
"The Presidents Cup is obviously a massive goal," Howell said. "It would be a big honor to play that."
Reach Scott Michaux at (706) 823-3219 or scott.michaux@augustachronicle.com.
