Latest news with #JimVogt
The Sun
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Full-time dentist set to compete with Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler at US Open weeks after losing dad to cancer
DENTIST Matt Vogt is determined to extract as much joy as possible from his emotional homecoming, as he makes his US Open debut just a couple of months after losing his father to cancer. The fact that the tournament is being played at Oakmont in Pennsylvania - where Vogt caddied for six years as a youngster before earning a college scholarship - makes the event even more poignant. 5 5 5 Vogt, 34, was born and brought up a few miles from Oakmont. So he is guaranteed plenty of support this week, especially as TV stations in the US have been portraying his story as a modern-day fairytale. At 6ft 6in, the big-hitting amateur will not be hard to spot. And he expects to experience an emotional roller-coaster over the next few days. His dad, Jim, died from colon cancer just a few weeks before Vogt earned a spot in the US Open field the hard way - winning a regional heat, and then finishing top of the pile again in a hotly-contested final qualifier. Back-to-back 68s at Wine Valley in Washington saw him finish ahead of plenty of seasoned PGA Tour players. So he has plenty of game, despite the fact he has never even considered turning professional himself. Vogt alternated between smiling broadly and fighting back tears, as he explained what it meant to be teeing off in a Major championship just a few yards away from where he used to hang out in the caddyshack. He commented: 'Oh, wow. Oh my goodness. I don't know where to start. "I just hope that what has happened to me will be an inspiration to anyone who is going through a tough time, wondering when the next good thing will happen. 'I think everyone knows about my dad's passing, and it's bound to be on my mind a lot this week, especially with it being Father's Day on Sunday. 'Even walking up the ninth fairway today after signing some autographs for some little kids - which was pretty awesome, by the way - I kind of looked up and thought about it. 'Anyone who's lost a parent, you feel these brief spurts of emotion, from time to time. "He had colon cancer. I wear the blue ribbon for that, and I say a prayer every night for people who have been affected by cancer. 'It's a horrible, horrible thing. He got that diagnosis last year, and it wasn't good. "Over the past few months before his passing, you could see it was starting to take a toll. So it's emotional, but honestly, I know he's in a better place. 'He was beginning to suffer, and that's something no one ever wants to see. "Although I wish he was still here with us, there's a sense of peace among our family. And I hope he's at peace as well, because it was hard. 'And for me, I have a 15-month-old daughter now, and the last few months, I feel like in a way I've gone from a boy to a man, and like matured as a person and as a dad.' Vogt, who has played in the US Amateur and Mid-Amateur golf tournaments, has been inundated with good luck messages from his patients, fellow dentists, other players - and the local caddies, who are all rooting for him. 5 5
The Independent
9 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Matt Vogt once chose dentistry over golf. Back home at the US Open, he's learned he didn't have to
Matt Vogt was always going to be at the U.S. Open this week. The man who likes to plan had it all planned out. He and his wife, Hilary, and their 15-month-old daughter, Charlotte, and their dogs would make the nearly six-hour drive from the Indianapolis suburbs and then crash at his mom's house in Cranberry, about 20 minutes from Oakmont. At some point, the 34-year-old knew he'd make it out to the course where he spent five-ish years caddying, a job whose perks included the opportunity to put a tee in the ground on Monday nights, something he admits now he didn't do nearly often enough. And the day after this year's Open ended, Vogt would find himself back in the main office of the dental practice he opened in 2018. That last part is still part of the plan, by the way. It's everything else about this trip that's changed. Three rounds of exquisitely steady golf — the kind Vogt found so elusive as a 'hot-headed' 20-year-old that he left his college team to focus on his other passion instead — will do that. So yes, Vogt will be at Oakmont this week after qualifying for the 125th edition of the national championship. In essentially his hometown, on a course that certainly feels like home on Father's Day weekend, just two months after losing his father and biggest supporter, Jim, to colon cancer. 'This is pretty wild,' Vogt said on Monday while walking in for a news conference that carried on for more than 20 minutes, unheard of at a major tournament for an amateur with a respectable but hardly historic resume. When 'pipe dreams' become reality, it usually is. Trading one passion for another Vogt is a dreamer sure. Just a pragmatic one. Even though he's 6-foot-6. Even though he's always been able to hit the ball a long, long way. Even though he's long felt drawn to a game that requires discipline, focus and a touch of math, he never considered trying to make a living doing it. By the time he graduated from Seneca Valley High School, an hour north of Pittsburgh in 2009, he was pretty sure he didn't have 'it.' A couple of years playing at Butler University reinforced what he held to be true: that he wasn't prepared — physically or mentally — for the toll the game can take if you dedicate your life to chasing it. So he took a break, a long one. He graduated with a degree in biology, then enrolled in dental school at the University of Indiana. There was something about the combination of helping people, problem-solving and running his own business that appealed to him, even if he laughs now about all the things he didn't know when The Dentists at Gateway Crossing opened its doors. Things like the fact that the rent is due even if those doors aren't actually open yet. 'That was a freaky, freaky few months,' he said. He quickly figured things out, and his practice steadily grew. Vogt now has another dentist on staff and has become an advisor to young doctors who want to follow the ambitious path he took. Reorganized priorities Around the same time Vogt's practice opened, he made himself a promise. 'Don't look back and be the guy, 'Well, if I had just done this or that, I maybe could have done great things,'' he said. He's not sure why he started hitting balls with a purpose again in 2018. It just kind of happened. He quickly became a fixture on the Indiana amateur circuit and qualified for the 2021 U.S. Amateur at Oakmont but didn't make it out of stroke play. The first number of his score was an eight, and the second was either one or two, and to be honest, he's fine not being totally sure. The disappointment didn't linger. He shot 67 at the alternate site the next day. Not enough of a rally to become one of the top 64 who advanced to match play, but telling of the ever-increasing maturity of both his game and his approach. Having a job, having a family to support, playing because he wanted to, not because he had to, shifted his perspective. He's no longer a golfer first. At this point in his life, that might not even crack the top five behind Christian, father and husband, among others. 'One of the biggest changes is, I've gotten my priorities right,' he said. Bombs away Some things, however, have not changed. At least on the course. Vogt hits it far. How far? He ran into long drive champion/influencer Kyle Berkshire at a pro-am a few months after the 2021 U.S. Amateur. Berkshire saw enough to invite Vogt out to Nevada to see if he could qualify for a long drive competition. While he didn't quite reach the world championships, he did unleash a 466-yard missile that drifted out of bounds. He had a blast, but also realized he was running the risk of spreading himself too thin. So he took what he learned and incorporated it into his skillset. It's one of the reasons he opted to try to qualify for this year's U.S. Open by picking a route that included a sectional at Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla, Washington. The 'math and science geek' had done his research. He knew Wine Valley was wide enough that he probably wouldn't run into trouble if he started spraying tee shots. He captured medalist honors after back-to-back 4-under 68s. And suddenly, the dentist from Indiana was on The Golf Channel, his emotional post-round video going viral and his phone blowing up to the point that he asked Hillary to help him keep track of it all. Things got so busy last week that when Vogt tried to sneak out to practice, it wasn't until he was nearly at the course that he realized he'd forgotten his shoes. A grateful heart Vogt's soft spikes were back in their usual spot when he stepped off the first tee on a Monday unlike any of the others he'd ever experienced at Oakmont. This time, he wasn't slinging it in the twilight with the other caddies. Instead, he was walking down the fairways with good friend and occasional tournament partner Kevin O'Brien on his bag, saying hello to familiar faces on the other side of the ropes while he signed autographs, his father never far from his mind. Jim Vogt was diagnosed with colon cancer last July. Less than a year later, he's gone. Vogt — who is wearing a blue ribbon on his baseball cap for colon cancer awareness — is still processing it. He is pressing on and trying to lean into the joy along the way. 'I think this weekend is going to be full of gratitude,' he said. 'And hopefully some good golf, too.' ___
Associated Press
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Matt Vogt once chose dentistry over golf. Back home at the US Open, he's learned he didn't have to
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Matt Vogt was always going to be at the U.S. Open this week. The man who likes to plan had it all planned out. He and his wife, Hilary, and their 15-month-old daughter, Charlotte, and their dogs would make the nearly six-hour drive from the Indianapolis suburbs and then crash at his mom's house in Cranberry, about 20 minutes from Oakmont. At some point, the 34-year-old knew he'd make it out to the course where he spent five-ish years caddying, a job whose perks included the opportunity to put a tee in the ground on Monday nights, something he admits now he didn't do nearly often enough. And the day after this year's Open ended, Vogt would find himself back in the main office of the dental practice he opened in 2018. That last part is still part of the plan, by the way. It's everything else about this trip that's changed. Three rounds of exquisitely steady golf — the kind Vogt found so elusive as a 'hot-headed' 20-year-old that he left his college team to focus on his other passion instead — will do that. So yes, Vogt will be at Oakmont this week after qualifying for the 125th edition of the national championship. In essentially his hometown, on a course that certainly feels like home on Father's Day weekend, just two months after losing his father and biggest supporter, Jim, to colon cancer. 'This is pretty wild,' Vogt said on Monday while walking in for a news conference that carried on for more than 20 minutes, unheard of at a major tournament for an amateur with a respectable but hardly historic resume. When 'pipe dreams' become reality, it usually is. Trading one passion for another Vogt is a dreamer sure. Just a pragmatic one. Even though he's 6-foot-6. Even though he's always been able to hit the ball a long, long way. Even though he's long felt drawn to a game that requires discipline, focus and a touch of math, he never considered trying to make a living doing it. By the time he graduated from Seneca Valley High School, an hour north of Pittsburgh in 2009, he was pretty sure he didn't have 'it.' A couple of years playing at Butler University reinforced what he held to be true: that he wasn't prepared — physically or mentally — for the toll the game can take if you dedicate your life to chasing it. So he took a break, a long one. He graduated with a degree in biology, then enrolled in dental school at the University of Indiana. There was something about the combination of helping people, problem-solving and running his own business that appealed to him, even if he laughs now about all the things he didn't know when The Dentists at Gateway Crossing opened its doors. Things like the fact that the rent is due even if those doors aren't actually open yet. 'That was a freaky, freaky few months,' he said. He quickly figured things out, and his practice steadily grew. Vogt now has another dentist on staff and has become an advisor to young doctors who want to follow the ambitious path he took. Reorganized priorities Around the same time Vogt's practice opened, he made himself a promise. 'Don't look back and be the guy, 'Well, if I had just done this or that, I maybe could have done great things,'' he said. He's not sure why he started hitting balls with a purpose again in 2018. It just kind of happened. He quickly became a fixture on the Indiana amateur circuit and qualified for the 2021 U.S. Amateur at Oakmont but didn't make it out of stroke play. The first number of his score was an eight, and the second was either one or two, and to be honest, he's fine not being totally sure. The disappointment didn't linger. He shot 67 at the alternate site the next day. Not enough of a rally to become one of the top 64 who advanced to match play, but telling of the ever-increasing maturity of both his game and his approach. Having a job, having a family to support, playing because he wanted to, not because he had to, shifted his perspective. He's no longer a golfer first. At this point in his life, that might not even crack the top five behind Christian, father and husband, among others. 'One of the biggest changes is, I've gotten my priorities right,' he said. Bombs away Some things, however, have not changed. At least on the course. Vogt hits it far. How far? He ran into long drive champion/influencer Kyle Berkshire at a pro-am a few months after the 2021 U.S. Amateur. Berkshire saw enough to invite Vogt out to Nevada to see if he could qualify for a long drive competition. While he didn't quite reach the world championships, he did unleash a 466-yard missile that drifted out of bounds. He had a blast, but also realized he was running the risk of spreading himself too thin. So he took what he learned and incorporated it into his skillset. It's one of the reasons he opted to try to qualify for this year's U.S. Open by picking a route that included a sectional at Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla, Washington. The 'math and science geek' had done his research. He knew Wine Valley was wide enough that he probably wouldn't run into trouble if he started spraying tee shots. He captured medalist honors after back-to-back 4-under 68s. And suddenly, the dentist from Indiana was on The Golf Channel, his emotional post-round video going viral and his phone blowing up to the point that he asked Hillary to help him keep track of it all. Things got so busy last week that when Vogt tried to sneak out to practice, it wasn't until he was nearly at the course that he realized he'd forgotten his shoes. A grateful heart Vogt's soft spikes were back in their usual spot when he stepped off the first tee on a Monday unlike any of the others he'd ever experienced at Oakmont. This time, he wasn't slinging it in the twilight with the other caddies. Instead, he was walking down the fairways with good friend and occasional tournament partner Kevin O'Brien on his bag, saying hello to familiar faces on the other side of the ropes while he signed autographs, his father never far from his mind. Jim Vogt was diagnosed with colon cancer last July. Less than a year later, he's gone. Vogt — who is wearing a blue ribbon on his baseball cap for colon cancer awareness — is still processing it. He is pressing on and trying to lean into the joy along the way. 'I think this weekend is going to be full of gratitude,' he said. 'And hopefully some good golf, too.' ___ AP golf:
