August 13, 2018
Jacob Solomon Off to Nice Start at U.S. Amateur
Three years ago, Jacob Solomon won one of California’s biggest prizes when he captured the CIF Boys’ State High School Championship at Poppy Hills Golf Course.
This week, Solomon is across the forest at Pebble Beach Golf Links chasing an even bigger prize–the U.S. Amateur Championship. He’s off to a nice start.
On Monday, Solomon, a native of Dublin who formerly competed on the Junior Tour of Northern California circuit, opened stroke play qualifying with a solid 2-under 70 at Spyglass Hill. The round left the University of Auburn senior in a tie for second midway through the first round. As for his play at Spyglass, Solomon chalked some of it up to local knowledge. While he lived in the Bay Area, he regularly played in NCGA events on the Robert Trent Jones course.
“This is a little bit of a homecoming for me,” Solomon said. “Being from the Bay Area and having played down here in a few junior NCGA tournaments definitely helped me out, having that experience, just knowing the course.”
Solomon is certainly making the most of his return. He only got in the U.S. Am field last week as an alternate.
“I was really excited to get in,” Solomon said. “I never really actually cancelled my plans to come out here, so I was going to come out no matter what and put my name on the list, but when they called me and told me someone had withdrawn and I was in, it was really special just because, for one, it’s at Pebble Beach and it’ll be my third Am as well, and probably my final Am.”
He’d card three birdies on the day, with just one bogey. The highlight birdie came on the par-5 7th, where he drained a 50-footer.
Now, it’s just a matter of keeping the rhythm going to solidify a spot in the match play brackets.
“I’m not going to take anything for granted,” Solomon said. “I’m just going to continue to push and maybe even make a run at medalist.”
