Charles Howell III Steady Rise To Consistent Greatness
Charles Howell III has but three PGA Tour wins. Thus some would say he’s underachieved. Yet Chuckie Three Sticks recently accomplished a feat only bested by Phil Mickelson.
Charles Howell III will pass $1M in earnings for the 2019-20 season today, his 20th straight PGA Tour season with $1M or more.
He and Phil Mickelson (24 straight) are the only players with streaks of 20+ years all-time.
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) February 23, 2020
Yes, Howell earned enough at the WGC-Mexico Championship to amass just under $40 million bucks in his pro career (19th on the all-time money list). What’s interesting is his three wins total only $2.7 million. Which means he makes a ton of cuts. Like 437 out of 563 (77%). And, he’s never gone to Q-school or dropped to Korn Ferry status. That my friends is one consistent–albeit less than superstar–player.
Golf.com’s Zephyr Melton has the details.
1. Longevity
Howell’s longevity and durability during his streak are quite remarkable. A 20-year run on the PGA Tour is impressive, especially when you factor in that any year with subpar play can mean losing your status. Howell has never had that issue. Since earning status some 20 years ago, he’s kept his card each season with staggering consistency and an even more staggering aversion to injuries. Since 2001, Howell has made no fewer than 23 starts each season, meaning he’s played a full schedule every year. That sort of durability deserves some serious props.
2. Profile
He’s been inside the top 10 on the money list just once, he’s played on only two international teams (at the 2003 and 2007 Presidents Cup) and he has just one career top-10 finish in a major.
“I think the best thing about my career has been my consistency,” Howell said. “I’ve only had one real lull and that was after I won in Los Angeles in 2007. I kind of had a mental letdown after that. The next year Heather [his wife] kind of gave me a talking-to. She said, ‘If you’re going to do this,’ then go do it—but do it all out.’
“Since then, I think I’ve played consistently well. I would like to have won more. I would like to have played better in the majors. But if I walk away from my career and my peers say, ‘He was a good player for a long time and a good guy,’ then I’ll feel pretty good about the whole thing.”
Something tells me many would take his career even with his major-less wins.
