Another major, another weekend with a stacked field of Georgia Bulldogs… this time, nine Dawgs, both past and future, in the 125th edition of the U.S. Open! Georgia commit Mason Howell, a rising senior at Brookwood High School in Thomasville, headlines the red and black featured at Oakmont this week as the 17-year old shot 18-under in the 36-hole qualifier at Piedmont Driving Club.
Howell committed to Coach Haack and the Bulldogs in September 2024. Now, an opportunity at the U.S. Open awaits Howell thanks to one of the most historic performances in golf history by an amateur. “The longest day in golf,” as the U.S. Open qualifier is commonly referred to, features 36 holes in one day. The highly-competitive field battles with the top five finishers earning a spot in the U.S. Open.
After just going to his junior prom, Howell shot a 63 (9-under) in each 18-hole round, tying for first in the qualifier. He was bogey-free throughout the day and had 14 birdies through 27 holes as he made the turn for the final nine holes of the day.
“I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was nervous,” said Howell. “Just hugging my mom and dad walking off the 18th green is a feeling that I don’t know I’ll ever feel again, but that was one of the greatest moments of my life.”
Will Chandler, another first-timer in the U.S. Open, graduated from Georgia in 2021. After receiving his Tour card prior to the 2025 regular season, Chandler has seen some success in his young PGA career. Tying for third in the same qualifier as Howell, Chandler will look to make a splash in the first major of his career. Chandler’s former teammate and roommate at Georgia, Will Kahlstorf, is on his bag as well.
Spartanburg, South Carolina native Trent Phillips, another teammate of Chandler’s, will also make his U.S. Open debut. The 25-year old turned pro in 2022 and has played in just one PGA Tour event, the Myrtle Beach Classic less than a month ago. Phillips finished T-31 with a 7-under scorecard. Now, it’s time for the big show in his second ever Tour start.
Sepp Straka leads all Dawgs in the odds market at 40/1, according to BetMGM. Straka is currently No. 3 in the FedEx Cup standings, trailing Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. With two wins on Tour this season at the American Express and Truist Championship, Straka stands alongside Scheffler, McIlroy and Ryan Fox as the only players with multiple victories in 2025.
Russell Henley follows suit with 50/1 odds. Despite worse odds than Straka, Henley holds a slight advantage over Straka in the Official World Golf Ranking as he sits at No. 7 and Straka at No. 8. Henley captured a signature win at Bay Hill for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Both Straka and Henley missed the cuts at the Masters and the PGA Championship, so the two top Dawgs on Tour will surely be looking to turn the tides in the third major of the year.
Harris English and Brian Harman are the other two Dawgs to have wins on Tour this season: English at the Farmers Insurance Open and Harman at the Valero Texas Open. Harman, the only Dawg in this field with a major win (2023 Open Championship), is a notable longshot at +15000 while English fares a little stronger at +8000.
Davis Thompson and Chris Kirk close out the former Georgia stars in the U.S. Open field. Thompson is looking for his second ever win on Tour after turning pro in 2023, his only one coming in the 2024 John Deere Classic. A very long hitter, Thompson should be able to make a sneaky run on the 7,372-yard course. Kirk, on the other hand, calls Athens Country Club his home course and will look to bring his first major back home to the Classic City.
Good luck to all the Dawgs on Tour in the 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont!