Augusta native Charles Howell makes return to Masters

Moments after capturing his first PGA Tour event in nearly 12 years, Charles Howell immediately shifted his thoughts to Augusta.

“It sounds cliché, but one of the first things I thought about was getting back here,” said Howell, who won the RSM Classic in November. “In my mind, I had just played a 72-hole qualifier for the Masters. A stressful one at that. It’s so hard to get an invite here that winning becomes a very big deal. Every player knows and thinks about it.”

Photos: Masters Monday Practice Round

This marks Howell’s first Masters appearance since 2012, and the Augusta native says this year means more than his previous eight trips. 

“I appreciate the invitation a lot more than I did before,” the 39-year-old Howell said. “It’s just wonderful to be here. It’s the greatest sporting event in the world and we’re lucky it’s in Augusta.”

Howell will have his children Ansley Grace (8) and Chase (7) as caddies during Wednesday’s Par 3 Contest. This will be the first time they have joined him for the annual event.

“Having them here is special,” Howell said. “I want them to understand what the Masters is — to understand where I grew up. This is the tournament that I walked around as a kid all the time. It’s what I did. Wednesday was always a fun experience, but this will be a lot more meaningful.”

Howell teed off alone at 9:05 a.m. Monday and played Augusta National’s first nine. He said rain has made the course soft, but does not expect it to remain that way when the tournament begins.

“The first couple days here, you’re still learning a little bit,” Howell said. “The golf course isn’t quite tournament speed, but we know they'll make it faster.”

Howell also mentioned the speed of the greens, and praised Augusta National for being able to “get right up to the line but not let the green speed get away from them.”

“They always know how to get it right,” he said. “The combination of the green speed and undulation is what separates them from other events. These are scary because of the slopes.”

Despite living in Orlando for nearly two decades, Howell says that his feelings toward Augusta National haven’t diminished. Throughout Monday’s round, the once-local phenom interacted with familiar faces on nearly every hole.

“I can’t say this tournament means more to me than other players — it’s the Masters,” Howell said. “I will say this though: It means a great deal to look in the gallery and see friends and family. Being from Augusta, that’s definitely an advantage for me.”