Matt Vogt knew teeing it up in the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, where he caddied growing up, was a pipe dream.
“It's been crazy,” the 34-year-old dentist said Monday.
During his time looping at Oakmont, he got to play the course Monday nights, something Vogt said he “did not appreciate that as much as we should have.”
“Thinking about it now,” he said, “we should have been here every single Monday, but I'd be lying if I said we were.”
The Pittsburgh native never had aspirations of playing professional golf. He was on the Butler University golf team briefly, but quit to focus on school. Then, in 2018, he started his own dental practice, Dentists at Gateway Crossing, just outside of Indianapolis. But the golf bug never truly went away.
“Honestly, maybe I didn’t dream big enough or maybe, I don’t know, I just never quite had it,” he said. “I played around a lot of guys who you could tell had it and had a chance to make a shot at professional golf. It never really crossed my mind.
“Now, I’ve said this a few times in some interviews, but trying to pursue amateur golf, trying to compete at whatever level that is and get to whatever level I can get to is just, it's almost like a challenge to myself, like what can we do? I don't know what that is.”
"I think this weekend is going to be full of gratitude and hopefully some good golf too."
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 9, 2025
Former Oakmont caddie Matt Vogt is soaking it all in as he prepares to make his U.S. Open debut. pic.twitter.com/OLJYJS9CE4
Vogt played a bit as an amateur and even qualified for the U.S. Amateur in 2021 at Oakmont, which was then a dream come true. He didn’t play as well as he would have liked that week, but another opportunity loomed: the U.S. Open was coming to his hometown course. Could he really play against the world’s best players?
He decided to give it a try.
Advancing to final qualifying, Vogt flew to Washington a little over a week ago for the Walla Walla qualifier, believing the course would fit his game well. And the bet paid off.
“Got about two hours of sleep on Monday night,” he said, “just adrenaline and phone blowing up and soaking it all in. Then traveled home Tuesday. Wednesday still had stuff to take care of at home, personal and professional stuff. Took care of most of that Wednesday as we could. Tried to hit a few golf balls. Packed Thursday, played a little bit Friday, got in here on Saturday.
“It feels like it’s been about three years in about six days, but it’s been incredible.”
Vogt comes to Oakmont with a heavy heart, though. His father passed away from colon cancer on April 6.
“It's definitely on my mind,” said Vogt, who has a 15-month-old daughter. “Even walking up (the 9th hole) fairway today after signing some autographs for some little kids, I kind of looked up and thought about it. Anyone who’s lost a parent, you feel these brief spurts of emotion, I think, from time to time.”
Many have recently become aware of Vogt’s story. And as a Cinderella at the course where he used to lug people’s golf bags over his shoulders, he’s doing something he’s never done before.
“I signed my first autograph this morning,” he said, “and I’m like, ‘O.K., I’ve got to do this today? It’s been awesome.”
Regardless of where Vogt finishes on the leaderboard this week, he hopes his time back in his hometown serves as an inspiration.
“The coolest part is seeing kids out there,” he said. “They might know who I am, they might not. They just know I’m playing golf inside the ropes, and maybe they’re thinking about doing it themselves someday or just chasing their dreams. They’re probably out here with their parents and making memories and having experiences.
“It’s a true honor to be a part of that.”
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Former Oakmont Caddie-Turned-Dentist Will Play U.S. Open With Heavy Heart.
