Butler grad left golf team, became a dentist, qualified for U.S. Open course where he caddied

Indianapolis Star

20 hours ago

After three semesters on the Butler golf team, Matt Vogt had a tough decision to make.
He could stay on the golf team and continue the mental and physical grind he felt adjusting to college and balancing his studies. He could find somewhere else to continue to play golf, or the suburban Pittsburgh native could stay at Butler and focus on his academics.
"I decided to stay at Butler and not play golf," Vogt said. "I think it's a testament to how awesome Butler is as a school. ... I'm a Bulldog through and through, even though my time on the golf team was pretty brief."
Staying at Butler shaped Vogt's life, personally and professionally, and set the course for him to qualify as an amateur for the 125th U.S. Open, one of 16 players to do so through local qualifying out of a pool of more than 10,000 golfers. The 2013 Butler graduate will return to the Oakmont Country Club, in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, a place where he caddied as a kid, for the pre-tournament leadup to Thursday's first round.
Vogt grew up playing travel baseball. He spent time at his local course at the Connoquenessing Country Club, dabbling in the sport before taking it seriously heading into high school. Vogt credits his parents, especially his father Jim, with supporting him and helping his love for golf grow. Vogt didn't learn the game from his father, but Jim was always willing to offer encouragement.
Jim died from colon cancer April 6. Playing in the U.S. Open during Father's Day weekend will make the tournament much more meaningful for Vogt.
"I could've told him I wanted to do anything, and he'd support me in that," Vogt said. "He and my mother, they drove me to tournaments. They tried to figure out ways for me to play and practice, even during the hard times around the 2008 recession.
"They always put us first as kids. We were always, especially by my dad, so loved. I carry him with me in all this because I know he'd be so pumped to see me at Oakmont. I know he's watching."
Vogt arrived at Butler in 2009. During his first two years on campus Gordon Hayward, Shelvin Mack and coach Brad Stevens led the Butler basketball team to consecutive national championship games. He met his wife, Hilary in chemistry class his second week of school.
After leaving the golf team, competing in the sport he grew up playing was no longer his focus. It wasn't until he finished dental school and started his own practice in 2018, The Dentists at Gateway Crossing in McCordsville, that he rediscovered his love for the game.
"I caught the bug again," Vogt said. "I said I'm going to try and play, try to improve, try to play some tournaments and year over year, as our dental practice grew, my golf game grew and my ability to get out and play in amateur tournaments grew.
"Now that we have a very capable team, I'm very blessed. It allows me to say, 'OK, I'd like to play in this tournament this week, this is important to me.' Let's make sure our patients are taken care of. Let's make sure the team is squared away, and I can do that without leaving patients without a dentist for the week."
In order to qualify for the U.S. Open as an amateur, Vogt played in an 18-hole local qualifier at Otter Creek in Columbus. Four out of 82 people advanced to the 36-hole event known as "The Longest Day in Golf." Vogt had his choice of 10 final qualifying spots; he chose Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla, Washington. Vogt finished first during qualifying, shooting two 4-under par 68s, and claimed one of the two available spots in the U.S. Open.
Earning a chance to return home to play in one of golf's biggest tournaments is a special opportunity for Vogt. The Seneca Valley grad has already heard from numerous former members and caddies, wishing him well ahead of the tournament. Vogt said he's embracing the support he's received and is ready for an awesome week, regardless of how he plays.
Having an intimate knowledge of the course will be a benefit for Vogt, but he admitted that the course has changed since the last time he was there.
"The bones of the course are still what I remember, but they've tweaked little things," Vogt said. "Where this bunker is. How this slope works. Those little restorations are things that I have to wrap my head around for practice and practice rounds.
"Oakmont is an incredibly difficult golf course day to day, but I've never seen it in U.S. Open conditions. The rough is high. The greens are firm and fast. That's going to be the biggest shock to the system. ... I know what Oakmont is. I've walked the course hundreds of times, but how do we prepare to play it under U.S. Open conditions and all the pressure and attention that comes with that? It will be a challenge, but I'm excited for the opportunity."
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Win or lose, Vogt's ambitions of becoming a full-time professional golfer have passed. He's fully committed to returning to his dental practice after his time at the U.S. Open is done, but qualifying for the prestigious tournament opens up more opportunities as an amateur golfer. Vogt is automatically qualified for the U.S. Amateur Tournament, the U.S. Mid-Amateur (for golfers 25 and up) and the Western Amateur. Vogt added that he always wants to put his family and career first, a realization he made back at Butler when he decided to leave the golf team.
Returning to Oakmont will complete a full-circle moment that began years ago in Indianapolis. Butler is where Vogt grew as a person, battling through the doubt that came with his decision to walk away from the sport. In 2011, he couldn't have been further from a U.S. Open qualifier. Looking back on that time now, Vogt can tell his younger self to stay steadfast in his faith and trust that things will work out.