Matt Vogt, 34, is ranked 1173rd in the amateur game and turned his back on a chance at a pro career seven years ago – but he’s made it into the 156-strong field for the tournament at Oakmont this week
Matt Vogt smiles while talking with reporters following his practice round(Image: AP)
Amateur Matt Vogt says business is booming at his dental practice after he qualified for the US Open at the club where he used to caddy. Vogt earned his place at the prestigious tournament at Oakmont Country Club when he swapped the drill for the driver and made it through qualification last week in one of the great sporting stories.
The 34-year-old, who is ranked 1,173rd in the amateur game, turned his back on the chance to play professional golf in order to study dentistry seven years ago, before his love of the game brought him back. After making it into the 156-strong field, Vogt’s rise to fame is helping business at his Indianapolis practice.
“I started my own practice in 2018 and that was an insane amount of work obviously, just starting any business,” he said. “I love my patients. I’d like to think they love me as much as they can love a dentist.
“I think they’ve gotten a ton of enquiries. Again, I’ve got such a great team, I’ve got friends helping me out with all those messages and enquiries.
“It’s been a lot of fun, some patients reaching out and fellow dentists. I feel like there’s so many people behind me this week – Oakmont, Pittsburgh, dentistry. It’s been fun. I really never had any aspirations of playing professional golf. I went to Butler University and played very briefly on the golf team and then decided to focus on school.
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“Honestly, maybe I didn’t dream big enough or maybe, I don’t know, I just never quite had it. 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.”
It is sure to be an emotional week for Vogt, not only returning to the course where he caddied for five years but also because it comes two months after the death of his father Jim to colon cancer. With Sunday’s climax coinciding with Father’s Day, Vogt will have his dad in his thoughts.
“It’s definitely on my mind. Even walking up the ninth fairway today after signing some autographs for some little kids, I kind of looked up and thought about it,” he added. “Anyone who’s lost a parent, you feel these brief spurts of emotion, I think, from time to time.
Matt Vogt works on the practice green before a practice round for the 2025 US Open golf championship at Oakmont Country Club(Image: AP)
“Although I wish he was still here with us, and yes, I’m sure this weekend will be emotional, there’s a sense of peace among our family and I hope he’s at peace as well because it was hard.”
Vogt used to caddy for members at Oakmont so has a unique perspective and knowledge of the course.
“So we got to play Monday nights and honestly, we did not appreciate that as much as we should have,” he said. “Reading the greens now, just being a different person, player, golfer, I feel like, again, it’s hard – like sometimes using your eyes out here doesn’t work.
“So trying to use your feet, trying to look from the sides really as you’re walking up and around the greens, it’s different than just maybe telling someone, a 10 handicapper, ‘hey, kind of hit it up in here and have fun’.”
