Securing his Masters spot settles Howell

ATLANTA - There's plenty of reason for anyone to feel good about playing in the Tour Championship at East Lake.

For starters, there's the free room and board at the Ritz-Carlton and guaranteed $105,000 paycheck.

Then there is the potential for the $1.17 million winner's check.

For Charles Howell, however, what makes him happiest is 150 miles and five months away.

"I got my fake membership back," Howell said of an entirely different golf club associated with Bobby Jones.

That fake membership is the one to Howell's hometown course - Augusta National Golf Club. It's available only to qualified entrants into the Masters Tournament.

After four years of enjoying practice-round privileges at Augusta National, Howell risked losing his pass down Magnolia Lane. As recently as three weeks ago, he wasn't eligible.

"I was more concerned with making the top 40 for the Masters than I was in this tournament," Howell said of the Tour Championship invite his top-30 spot on the money list brought. "That tournament means so much to me, I just wanted to be in that top 40."

By the time October rolled around, Howell wasn't in the most pleasant place. He'd fallen out of range of two guaranteed money World Golf Championship events, leaving him further in a hole.

Ranked 57th in the world and 42nd on the PGA Tour money list, the Augusta native was perched uncomfortably outside looking in at the Masters qualification standards with only four tournaments remaining in the season.

The potential for starting the 2006 season without his Masters spot secured was distasteful. The threat of sitting it out in his Orlando home was unpalatable.

"I've been really grinding," he said.

Howell's late-season focus paid off. Through his career, Howell has made almost 30 percent of his money ($3.12 million) in just over 20 percent of the tournaments he's played in October and November. His only career victory came in October 2002.

"I don't know why I like the fall," Howell said. "Maybe it goes back to college and this is when we started the season."

Whatever the reason, Howell finished fifth in Las Vegas to climb inside the top 40. He followed that with 15th- and 16th-place money the past two weeks to get inside the top 30 and earn his third trip to the Tour Championship and next year's U.S. Open at Winged Foot.

"It's a lot more fun to do it the way Tiger (Woods) does," Howell said of the world's top-ranked golfer, who's always coasting into the season finale at or near the top of the money list.

"I haven't really ever made it in flying colors."

That fact was graphically illustrated to him while sitting in the media center after finishing up his final round at last week's Chrysler Championship in Tampa, Fla. Staring at a computer screen that updated the money list with every shot, Howell watched his name bounce between 31st and 27th as his peers either birdied or bogeyed.

"It just showed you how much the money jumps up and down," he said.

"You can have a fairly mediocre week and get blown past. I knew every shot counted, but I got a reality shot then."

Since he's already here, Howell hasn't toned down his grind. In two previous Tour Championship starts, including 2002 at East Lake, Howell finished second each time.

On Thursday, he rallied from consecutive bogeys on Nos. 9 and 10 with an eagle and three birdies on the last seven holes to finish at 3-under-par 67 - tied for sixth.

He even posted the field's only birdie on the 235-yard par-3 closing hole.

That allowed him to be paired today with Woods, whose fake membership at Augusta National is set for life.

"I bet Tiger doesn't even know what the qualifications are," Howell said.

With all the extravagances available to these elite few this week, that remains the luxury Howell wishes for most.

Reach Scott Michaux at (706) 823-3219 or scott.michaux@augustachronicle.com.