Jacob Solomon leads U.S. Open lesser-knowns

LOS ANGELES – Jacob Solomon knocked out his media obligations and gave his mom a hug.

After going out with the first group off the first tee at 6:45 a.m., he’d just shot a 2-under 68 in the first round of the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club on Thursday, a day that he briefly led the tournament to send Google searches into overdrive.

“To see your name on the top of a leaderboard in a U.S. Open, I wouldn’t have believed it if you’d told me when I was 15,” he said. “It’s one of the coolest days in my life, no doubt.”

Every U.S. Open features “pre-household” names. They’re the guys who keep their player IDs close at hand, who don’t necessarily hit every shot on TV, and whose spots in the field were by no means guaranteed. So far, at least, Solomon is the poster boy among them.

Not far behind is Japan’s Yuto Katsuragawa, 24, who has two professional victories, both in Japan, and is still using the club caddie he picked up at Final Qualifying at Old Chatham Club in Durham, North Carolina. Katsuragawa shot a first-round 69 at LACC.

“I didn’t have any confidence early in the week,” Katsuragawa said, but it grew Thursday, especially as his putter heated up and he made four birdies on the back nine.

By comparison, Ryan Gerard (69), who finished fourth at The Honda Classic earlier this season and is a special temporary member of the PGA TOUR, is practically a household name. So are Gordon Sargent (69), the No. 1-ranked amateur in the world, and Ryo Ishikawa (69), who is so well-known in Japan he became Katsuragawa’s boyhood idol.

Solomon called his start here Thursday “a dream come true.” He hasn’t had much occasion to be interviewed as a rookie on the Korn Ferry Tour, where he’s made eight of 12 cuts but with no top-10s. He had to survive Local and Final Qualifying just to be here.

His bio includes these gems: He plays the guitar. He’s 26. He grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and attended the 2008 Farmers Insurance Open on his 11th birthday. After watching Tiger Woods save par at the par-3 third hole on the South Course at Torrey Pines, he told Woods, “Great save, Tiger.” The kicker: Woods looked him in the eye and responded, “Thanks, buddy.”

Having tapped into the Woods magic with five opening-round birdies and some clutch putting, Solomon signed his card, finished up his media obligations, and gave his mother, Debbie, a hug.

“There she is,” he said as his father, Lance, looked on, beaming.

Debbie has been here all week, but Lance couldn’t get away from work and arrived Wednesday. In a manner of speaking, Jacob himself arrived a day later, taming LACC before the world.

“What I like to say is everybody’s timing is different,” Solomon said. “You know, I’m not Collin Morikawa, we’re the same age and I know him well from junior golf, but we’ve had different paths to get here. My path’s just a little bit more rocky than most of them.”

After playing collegiately for Auburn, he struggled upon turning pro, but he had a secret ally. Jason Dufner, 46, is a five-time PGA TOUR winner who recently surpassed $28 million in career earnings. More importantly, he’s a fellow Auburn Tiger who never left the area and has taken a special interest in helping younger players.

“Jason’s been really helpful in my career,” Solomon said. “I remember freshman year of college; he walked all 18 holes with me in a tournament. He’s always just been a big supporter. He’s a great guy. He’s fun to joke around with; we’ll hit balls … and chat about the golf swing.

“Obviously, he’s one of the greatest Auburn players of all time, so it’s an honor to share that friendship with him,” Solomon continued. “All he told me was go play as much as you can because that’s how you get experience. When I got in this event, he texted me and said it’ll be a really great experience for your professional career.”

It’s been exactly that so far.