After reaching 15th on the world rankings in 2003 Howell partnered Tiger Woods to two wins at the Presidents Cup, also beating Adam Scott in the singles, and was successful with him again on his return four years later.
Howell had been the PGA Tour’s Rookie of the Year in 2001 and the following season won the Michelob Championship and was runner-up to Vijay Singh in the Tour Championship. The same year also saw him make his first appearance at the Masters in his home town Augusta, but there have been only two further victories. In the 2007 Nissan Open he fired a closing 65 and beat Phil Mickelson in a play-off and after an 11-year wait he defeated Patrick Rodgers in a play-off for the RSM Classic last November.
That was his final outing of 2018 and he then recorded top 20 finishes in six of his first seven starts this year, leading to his Open place off the FedEx Cup points standings. While at Oklahoma State University he was named America’s top college golfer and captured the NCAA Championship. Made his major debut at the 2001 US Open and was joint 10th at the 2003 PGA Championship.