After years of inconsistent play, Howell on upswing
By Craig Dolch, PGATOUR.COM Contributor
Charles Howell has had his share of ups and downs the last two years. They generally don't come a week apart, however.
While the world's top golfers were playing at Doral in the World Golf Championships-CA Championship, Howell was toiling away in the PGA TOUR's opposite-field event in Puerto Rico. He put himself in contention heading to the weekend, but shot a third-round 77 that left him demoralized.
"That was a quiet night in the hotel room there," Howell said. "That was a pretty low point."
But eight days later, things weren't so quiet when Howell birdied the 11th, 12th and 14th holes Sunday to move into a tie for the lead with Retief Goosen at the Transitions Championship at Innisbrook. On a week when it appeared a veteran like 50-year-old Tom Lehman or 40-year-old Goosen would secure a noteworthy win, suddenly it was Howell, who at 29 seems like a veteran that seemed poised to pull off a feel-good victory.
If Howell won the Transitions Championship, he would have secured a last-minute invitation to the Masters, which means the world to a guy who grew up in Augusta, Ga., just down the street from Augusta National Golf Club. He's played in the Masters every year since 2002. When Howell had reached the top of the leaderboard, how could he not think about a tradition like no other?
"Yeah, it's in my mind," Howell said. "I don't think there's a professional golfer in the world that wouldn't like to play that golf tournament."
Maybe it was the pressure of trying to make his hometown major. Maybe it was the difficulty of the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook. Or maybe Howell's game just isn't where it needs to be yet to win again on the PGA TOUR.
For whatever reason, Howell bogeyed the 15th and 16th holes Sunday, eventually finishing a shot behind Goosen and placing his Masters dream on hold. Again.
"I told my caddie that four pars would win it," said Howell, who was proven correct with his prediction.
And so his quest to qualify for the Masters goes down to the last two weeks: Howell has to win either this week's Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard or next week's Shell Houston Open.
"It would have been something (had he won)," Howell said. "But I'm going to keep working my butt off to try and get back in there."
Howell has always had the heavy burden of expectations atop his thin shoulders. That's what happens when you win the NCAA Championship individual title and people think you have the ability to challenge Tiger Woods.
Howell has been a consistent earner on the PGA TOUR -- he ranks 34th in career earnings with $17.5 million -- but has won only two events in 256 career starts (2002 Michelob Championship at Kingsmill and 2007 Nissan Open). Always enamored with the mechanics of his swing, Howell's game slumped last year as he ranked a career-worst 69th in earnings and saw his world ranking fall to No. 145 in the world rankings.
Howell didn't sit back while his game was struggling. He switched caddies and left instructor David Leadbetter (for the second time) to join teacher Todd Anderson and strength coach Randy Myers at nearby Sea Island, Ga. Howell says Anderson has made him a better player.
"I'm learning to trust it more," Howell said of his revamped swing. "I'm kind of a fastball pitcher and I'm learning to become a pitcher that throws splitters and knuckleballs, and actually become a golfer. Of all the things I've seen great players do, that's what they do so well -- when their fastball is not working, they are not out of it. They can still create ways to get it done. That's what I'm learning how to do, and this week I thought I did a pretty good job of it."
After that "quiet night" in the Puerto Rico hotel room, Howell regrouped to shoot a 66 in the final round and then played well with Woods last week in the two-day Tavistock Cup. Then came the near-miss at Innisbrook.
"It was just kind of nice to pick myself back up from that day in Puerto Rico where I did not play well at all," said Howell, who improved to No. 97 in the world rankings.
Howell desperately wants to make that drive down Magnolia Lane in less than two weeks, signifying he's in the Masters. But he says if he doesn't make it, he won't lock himself in a room and pretend there's no golf being played in his hometown the first week in April.
"I might caddie for Tiger in the Par 3," said Howell, only half-joking. "Oh, absolutely I'll watch it. I love it. You've got to watch it. I'm just a golf fan. I'll watch every minute of it. Yeah, I wouldn't miss it."
Or so he hopes.
Craig Dolch is a freelance columnist for PGATOUR.COM. His views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR.
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