Howell follows link dreams

By Brian Wright, Sports Editor

Camron Howell is not the same person who won state championships in golf as a high school sophomore and junior.

Howell now has a wife, a daughter and a career in the business world.

He is founder and partner of Insight Benefits Group, a financial firm that provides consulting and financial solutions for high net-worth business owners. IBG has five offices located across the country, and keeps its founder busy.

The 1995 Thatcher High School graduate still loves playing golf and has lofty expectations for himself.

He recently qualified for the United States Mid-Amateur Championship.

He qualified by firing a 3-under par 69 at the Seville Golf and Country Club in Gilbert on Aug. 14.

After high school Howell went on his Mormon mission to Toronto from 1996-1998.

He then enrolled at Grand Canyon University, where he continued to play golf. His team made it to nationals in Georgia in 1999.

Howell transferred to the Arizona State University after his sophomore year but didn’t golf his last two years in college.

He has recently begun playing more often, saying he tries to hit balls at least twice a week.

The 2006 United States Mid-Amateur Championship was held at Forest Highlands golf course in Flagstaff on Sept. 9-14.

Howell started at about 6 in the morning on Sept. 9 in the rain. He was 8-over par after the first eight holes.

He picked up his game considerably on the last 10 holes that day and the next eight holes on Sunday.

On those 18 holes, he shot a 6-under par and finished Saturday with a score of 75. Howell was 2-under par on Sunday and 7-over par for the tournament.

Rain continued to pound the golf course on Sunday, and after a report that a Flagstaff youth had been struck by lightning, play was cancelled for the day.

Howell had to finish 17 and 18 on Monday morning.

He thought the only way he would advance was if he birdied those two holes.

He bogeyed 17, then barely missed an eagle on 18 before tapping in for birdie. Howell ended the tournament at 7-over par, good for 76th.

“It was a little bit of a bummer,” Howell said of his finish.

He said the most disappointing thing was that he was playing really well at one point but couldn’t keep up the pace.

Howell just wanted a chance to get to a playoff.

“I knew if I could get to match play I could beat them,” he said.

Although he was disappointed with his finish in Flagstaff, Howell shot a 70 the very next day to qualify for the Arizona Open in Scottsdale.

He said he is regaining confidence in his golf game.

The Arizona Open will take place Sept. 20-23, with a practice round Wednesday and the first round on Thursday.

Howell said he had three goals for the year. First was to make a USGA event. He accomplished that by qualifying for the tournament in Flagstaff.

Second, he wanted to make the all-Arizona team, which takes the top eight amateurs along with the top two women and seniors in the state. Howell has also accomplished that goal.

Lastly, he wanted to win a big tournament. That’s the only one he has yet to do. But hey, the Arizona Open is this weekend. Maybe goal number three isn’t far away.

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