CHASKA, Minn. --- He's 30 years old, 20 pounds heavier, 10 seasons into his pro career and competing in his first major championship without even his parents on site. In short, Charles Howell is all grown up and settling in to the next stage of his golfing life.
"Hopefully, my best golf is in my 30s," Howell said as he prepared for his 30th career major start at the PGA Championship at Hazeltine National. "Historically, most guys' best golf is in their 30s and that's what I'm working for. I'm just a lot more at ease and peace with myself."
That ease and peace seems evident watching Howell among his peers. A decade in, Howell is a veteran. His wiry frame has filled out to a more robust 170 pounds that has been honed through workouts with conditioning coach Randy Myers.
"For the first time he's physically ahead of his golf swing," said Myers.
Howell may be grown up, but he's hardly old.
"It doesn't feel like it's been 10 years; it has flown by," he said. "What it does feel like is I have felt the ups and downs. ... So while it doesn't feel like 10 years, when I think about it, it does feel like another career ago when I played here in '02."
In 2002 when the PGA was last played at Hazeltine, Howell was one of the hotshot "young guns" predicted to be hot on the heels of Tiger Woods. In less than two months after tying for 17th here, Howell won his first PGA Tour event at Kingsmill.
He seemed on the brink of the greatness everyone had long since predicted of the former NCAA champion and Augusta-bred golfing prodigy.
But the ebb and flow of a golfer's existence doesn't typically work like that. Howell has teased that potential with 12 runner-up finishes and a handful of other near misses. He's won twice, earned more than $18 million on the course and even more in endorsements. He's also endured a couple of brief slumps and some hard knocks. This year he's had three opportunities to win and come up just short to finish second, second and fourth.
"I haven't won as many tournaments as I wanted to and thought I probably should have," he said. "But I've had 12 seconds. Not all of those feel great, you know? I felt those."
What's different now, Howell said, is he doesn't dwell on the misses and the inevitable criticism that comes with it. He's lived for so long under the shadow of expectations that he's found the best way to deal with it all is accepting it as a compliment and ignoring everything else.
"Unfortunately and fortunately we're all in the Tiger Woods era," Howell said. "We're also in an era of no patience and what have you done for me yesterday. But I don't even pay attention to that stuff anymore. I used to pay attention to it. When you're 22 or 23, of course it matters. Maybe not in a negative way, but you think about it. Now, I don't read any golf articles or golf magazines. I just do my own thing now. Maybe that comes with 10 years of playing out here or age, but I don't pay attention to it. When I get off the golf course I have other interests. In addition to my practice and workouts I like to go fishing and diving. If you listen to everything people write or say you'll get beat up pretty good. I just don't anymore and I'm a lot happier about that."
Part of the rhythm of Howell's career so far has been a constant drumbeat of changes. Notorious for tinkering and quick to make changes that have included swing coaches, caddies, equipment and agents, Howell believes he has finally settled into a comfortable routine and comfortable team.
Almost a year ago, a frustrated Howell hooked up with Sea Island, Ga., instructor Todd Anderson and the match has been a good one. The mission has been to keep Howell on a consistent path forward without so many stutter-step distractions.
"I'm trying to get him out of thinking about technique and to fall in love with hitting golf shots," said Anderson. "In the past he's basically been only technique and when the technique isn't working he's had nothing to go to."
Even though his success has tapered off since his runner-up finish at New Orleans in May, Howell feels his game slowly building. He's currently 31st in the season-long FedEx Cup standings with an eye toward qualifying to play at East Lake in the Tour Championship.
"I'm not close, but I'm getting there," Howell said. "We're 10 months into it and it's been good and we've got a lot of improvements to do. But it's a lot more comforting at night to know that you're on the right road. You don't know when you're going to get there, but you're on the right path. If I do have a time where I struggle and hit it bad, I don't get panicked or upset about it because I know what I'm working on and what I'm doing. I'm not searching. Knowing that, and with hard work, eventually it will get there."
"It's gonna happen," Anderson said. "I feel confident it's gonna happen. It's just a matter of when. He's showed signs of doing some good things."
The key to their practice strategy is getting Howell off his self-professed obsession with mechanics. A workout and range junkie, Howell sometimes loses the feel that makes him such a naturally talented golfer in the first place.
"You won't find a guy who wants it more," Anderson said. "Sometimes your greatest strength can be your greatest weakness. Sometimes wanting it so bad and trying to be a perfectionist can hurt."
Howell also made a key switch on his bag this year, hiring Mitch Knox who caddied for David Duval during the peak of the former world No. 1 player's career. Unfortunately for Howell, Knox had to leave Hazeltine on Tuesday when his wife went into labor. So for the second consecutive year, Howell will compete in the PGA with a substitute caddie, Henry Diana.
This has consistently been Howell's best major. He tied for 22nd in his debut in 2001 at Atlanta Athletic Club, tied for 17th the next year at Hazeltine, tied for 10th in 2003 at Oak Hill and tied for 15th in 2005 at Baltusrol. Only once in eight career starts has he missed the cut (2006 at Medinah).
His experiences at Hazeltine have been positive. Howell finished fifth in the NCAA Tournament played here in 1999. Three years later at the PGA, he was tied for eighth after two rounds just three shots off the lead. But he stumbled out of contention with a third-round 80. For the week he was one of only four players in the field to shoot two rounds in the 60s on the par-72 layout.
"I like the golf course a lot and think it's very fair," he said.
Anderson believes Howell has a chance this week as long as he approaches it with the proper attitude and plan.
"The thing he needs to do is not focus on winning the PGA but focusing on the things that give him a chance to win the PGA," Anderson said. "But you don't really think, 'I've got to win this tournament.' I think in the past he's put a lot of pressure on himself to do that."
If it's not this week or this season, Howell and his team believe it will be soon.
"The good thing about Charles is he's been out here 10 years but he's still only 30 years old," Anderson said.
"I think his best golf is going to be over the next 10 to 15 years. His career is far from over. There's guys who are 30 that are rookies out here. I wouldn't write him off yet."
Reach Scott Michaux at (706) 823-3219 or scott.michaux@augustachronicle.com
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