Morganton, NC – T.J. Howe of Osceola, PA came out of the winter months with a bit of rust on his golf game following a December knee surgery and two months of little-to-no play. Fresh off a three-win 2013 campaign, Howe had hopes for early success, but took five months to break through again, posting rounds of 70-63-61-65—259 (21-under) at the Mimosa Hills Open for the fourth win of what has become a promising career.

Howe, who has lived in Charlotte, NC since his eGolf Tour career began in 2012, opened his week at famed Mimosa Hills Country Club on Wednesday afternoon with bogeys on his first two holes and an opening round of even-par 70.

Tied for 59th through 18 holes, the former Penn State star immediately made up lost ground, posting follow-up rounds of 63-61 to reach 16-under par heading into Saturday’s fourth and final round. Howe’s 61, which gave him a one-shot lead over Australian Justin Smith entering the day, flirted with 59 stardom before pars over his final two holes left him with a 9-under-par effort.

After posting 17 birdies in rounds two and three, Howe struggled early on Saturday. A tough up-and-down at the docile par-4 first gave way to solid pars on Nos. 2 and 3, but a birdie on the par-4 fourth helped ease the tension and move him to 17-under for the week.

“I was having trouble finding the fairway pretty much all day, so I was having a hard time judging some lies out of the rough,” said Howe, 26. “I followed up that birdie on four with a close shot on No. 6, and that kind of got it going.”

Howe’s stellar tee shot on six gave way to another birdie, which was followed by a birdie on the par-5 seventh that vaulted him to 19-under par.

Christian Brand of Charleston, WV played alongside Howe and Smith in the day’s final threesome, and played very well on the opening nine, birdieing Nos. 2, 4, 5, 7 and 9 to turn at 5-under 30 and 19-under overall. Brand, the tournament’s 36-hole leader, matched Howe at the round’s halfway point, leaving the duo two clear of the field with nine to go.

T.J. Howe

But just as he surged, Brand fell back, bogeying Nos. 11 and 12 to drop to 17-under – a move which coincided with a final-round charge from two groups ahead.

Garland Green of Tazewell, VA turned in 30 to reach 16-under par on Saturday. His steady climb up the leaderboard accelerated somewhat when birdies on 10, 13 and 14 moved him to 19-under par, suddenly tied for the lead with Howe.

“Christian made a couple of bogeys, and 13 was the first time I saw a scoreboard and knew what everyone was doing,” said Howe, who birdied 11 but three-putted 12 to remain at 19-under. “When I saw how many guys were taking it deep, I knew I had to keep trying to make more birdies.”

In an attempt to make more birdies, the former Nittany Lion standout did one better, launching a 9-iron from 170 yards out of the rough on the par-5 14th to 4 feet, in turn converting the eagle putt to get to 21-under for the tournament – two clear of Green at the time.

Garland Green

“I had a shot at the flag on 14. It’s kind of luck that it wound up pin-high, 4 feet from the hole; but, I hit a good shot so I’ll take it,” said Howe after his round.

The eagle gave Howe a much-needed cushion with four to play in Morganton. With Green making steady pars down the stretch to stay two back, Howe matched him, paring 15 and 16 to remain two ahead on the tee of the par-3 17th.

“I wanted to hit the tee shot before I looked at the scoreboard on 17,” said Howe, whose tee shot on the downhill hole flew just over the back of the green. “I flushed it right where I was looking. It’s not often I punch an 8-iron 165 yards.”

Howe’s slight miscue on the 71st hole was negated by a brilliant chip to a few inches. The tap-in par brought him to the tee of the par-4 18th hole, needing just a bogey to pick up career win No. 4.

After hitting his second shot to 35 feet past the hole, Howe two-putted for a closing par and a final-round 65. His 21-under-par total left him with the event’s $15,000 first-place prize, but more importantly, with the confidence to know he could in fact win again.

“It feels great. It’s been a long year after taking two months off, and then trying to get back into it,” said an emotional Howe after the win. “It was always one thing that wasn’t working in a tournament, or one thing that wasn’t working on a certain day. So to have it all come together for three rounds, and to play the way I did – I can’t ask for anything more.”

Daniel Claytor

The affable Howe had surgery on a torn meniscus in his knee last December, and was forced to sit idle for two months. He snuck down to North Carolina from his native Pennsylvania for a few practice days, but didn’t give it a full effort until gaining clearance from his doctor the week before the tour’s season-opening Palmetto Hall Championship.

Howe’s 2014 campaign had been solid up to this point, but left much to be desired after 2013 wins at Forest Oaks, Mid Pines and Cabarrus placed him as one of the tour’s best players. Six top-25s entering the week would be great for most, but four rounds in the 60s on the season forced Howe to make a move.

After the opening 70, Howe switched back to his red-hot putter of 2013, and proceeded to dominate the old-school putting surfaces at Mimosa Hills.

“It looks like I’ve found a swing to work with now, and the ability to find the bottom of the cup sometimes,” he said. “I’m just going to try and keep it going.”

When asked if the last three days marked the best three-round stretch of his life, Howe answered immediately.

“By far, it’s not even close.”

Christian Brand

Green wound up in solo-second place at 19-under 261, earning $8,542 on the week. The finish tied his career-best, set at last year’s HGM Hotels Classic at Rock Barn.

The runner-up was further confirmation of a solid rebound for Green this year. After missing six of his first seven cuts, the former Virginia Tech golfer has made three straight cuts dating back to last month’s Sedgefield Classic – including a T14 at the Forest Oaks Classic, where he was the 36-hole co-leader.

Brand and tour rookie Daniel Claytor of Hartsville, SC wound up tied for third at 18-under 262, three shots back of Howe. Both players earned $5,950.

For Brand, the T3 marked his second-best effort of the 2014 season, dating back to a runner-up finish at last month’s Willow Creek Open.

The 26-year-old Web.com Tour member was two shots clear of the field with four holes to play during Friday’s third round, but bogeyed Nos. 15 through 18 to fall two back of Howe. The former Marshall star posted nine-hole scores of 30, 31, 31 and 30 on the club’s front nine for an 18-under total, but played the back nine in even-par for the week.

Claytor, a former star at Barton College, birdied five of his final nine holes for a closing 65 that left him with a career-best T3 finish.

The finish marked his second straight top-5 dating back to a T4 at last week’s Forest Oaks Classic. The 23-year-old is 34-under par over his last eight rounds on the eGolf Tour.

• The eGolf Tour would like to thank Mimosa Hills head golf professional Jimmy Piercy, pro emeritus Dan Dobson, and their staff for their efforts in coordinating this second-year event. A special thanks goes to golf course superintendent Dan Winters and his crew for their tireless efforts in presenting such a well-manicured course this week. Last but certainly not least, the tour would like to thank the members of Mimosa Hills for allowing us to use their club, and for their tireless efforts in volunteering.

• The tour will be off next week before returning to action with the ArrowCreek Open, to be contested at ArrowCreek Country Club in Reno, NV on July 1-3, 2014. The event, co-sanctioned by the eGolf Tour and eGolf Tour West, will award the winner with an exemption into the PGA TOUR’s Reno-Tahoe Open.