It was already big news locally when Dublin High School Class of 2015 graduate Jacob Solomon qualified for the PGA’s U.S. Open at the Los Angeles Country Club. He then gained national notoriety on the Open’s first round by draining a long birdie putt on the par-3 15th hole to move to 4-under for the day and briefly claim sole possession of first place atop the tournament leaderboard.
Solomon finished Thursday’s first round with a 2-under 68, tied for 14th place among 156 participants in the prestigious event. The Korn Ferry Tour rookie earned the right to participate in his first major last month when he won a playoff at a U.S. Open qualifying tournament in Dallas.
One of Solomon’s first inspirations to become an avid golfer was a brief encounter he had with Tiger Woods at a tournament in 2008. Solomon went on to have a highly successful run on the Junior PGA Tour, and his time at Dublin High School was highlighted by winning a CIF State Championship in 2015 with an eagle putt to cement his status as the best golfer in school history.
Solomon received a scholarship to Auburn, where he earned second-team All-SEC honors as a senior in 2019. Coming out of college, Solomon struggled for his first few years as he attempted to turn his professional golf ambitions into a reality as he joined mini-tours and Monday qualifiers. More recently, he has been consistently making cuts on the Canadian Tour and the Korn Ferry Tour, which set him up for a successful debut at the U.S. Open
“Obviously it’s a dream come true for me,” Solomon told the USA Today at the conclusion of the first round. “As a little kid, if you’d told me I’d see my name near the top of a leaderboard at a U.S. Open, I wouldn’t have believed it.”
Even though Solomon may not have envisioned where he would be standing today while growing up in Dublin, it is exciting to see how the power of positive thinking and perseverance has paid off for the former Gael. Dublin High Athletics and the entire community wishes at this year’s Open and for continued success as he launches his professional golf career on the world’s biggest stages.
