PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Charles Howell III doesn’t know yet whether to book a flight to Mexico, but the veteran is taking the uncertainty in stride at the Honda Classic.
Howell entered this week at No. 9 in the season-long FedEx Cup race. Should he remain inside the top 10 after this week, he’ll earn a spot in next week’s WGC-Mexico Championship. He has given himself a chance to do just that after matching rounds of 1-under 69 to sit firmly in the middle of the pack at PGA National.
But Howell has more than just next week to play for. He entered this event ranked No. 64 in the world, and earning a spot in Mexico will significantly bolster his chances of remaining inside the top 64 by March 13, which would in turn qualify him for the WGC-Dell Match Play Championship.
Make a run through the match-play bracket and Howell could earn the perk the Augusta, Ga., native most dearly covets: an invitation to the Masters that will go to the OWGR top 50 on March 27.
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For now, Howell is focusing on the task at hand and allowing the standings to fall as they may.
“I’m aware of it, but you can’t figure it out. You’ve just got to play good,” Howell said. “It’s part of this job, and part of what we do. If I play well and get in, great. If I don’t, oh well. I can only control it by how I play.”
Recent play has been a strength for Howell, who boasts seven straight top-15 finishes dating back to October. That includes a runner-up finish at Torrey Pines and has allowed Howell to climb nearly 40 spots in the OWGR since the start of the year.
Howell credits a few short game improvements for his recent run, but after nearly two decades on Tour he also realizes that he remains at the mercy of a fickle game.
“I don’t know, because my work doesn’t change and how much time I put into it doesn’t change,” he said. “It’s just that this game is crazy. I think the quicker you know that, the quicker you realize it’s a hard game, the better off you’ll be.”