Latest news with #caddying
The Sun
5 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
CBS News
18-05-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Inside SoCal: Caddying for Change
These SoCal students didn't even know how to play golf, but learning to become caddies opened a whole new world thanks to the Chick Evans Scholarship. CHICK EVANS SCHOLARSHIP This year, five Los Angeles area high school seniors were awarded the Western Golf Association's Chick Evans Scholarship, a four-year housing and tuition scholarship for golf caddies and the nation's largest privately funded scholarship program. The fact that most of them didn't even know how to play golf, or much less caddie, didn't stop them from trying. Over three summers of caddying (thanks to the WGA Caddie Academy and the support and participation of local courses like the prestigious Los Angeles Country Club), they learned these key skills in order to apply for the scholarship. The added bonus? Receiving mentorship while caddying for business professionals on the golf course. To qualify for the Evans Scholarship, each student must meet the Program's four selection criteria and show a strong caddie record, excellent academics, demonstrated financial need and outstanding character – not to mention the willingness to learn golf if you don't already. For this scholarship, it's anybody's game. Learn more at
Times
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Times
Jim Dent obituary: Caddy turned millionaire golfer
Caddying at the manicured golf courses of Augusta was an escape route from factory or farm drudgery for black youngsters, albeit on terms set by the white ruling class. Black people were allowed to carry bags but not to swing clubs at the best courses in the city that hosts the Masters, America's most prestigious golf tournament. Jim Dent reasoned it was a deal worth taking as he grew up in the racially segregated southern state of Georgia. Earning $2 to $5 a round as a caddie, and a little extra raking bunkers and fetching balls, was preferable to exhausting and dangerous shifts in a cotton mill. Dent first caddied in the Masters as a teenager. He was allowed to play at an army base
CBS News
09-05-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Truist Championship volunteer's journey to the fairway started as a caddie
As Truist Championship Week continues at the historic Philadelphia Cricket Club, thousands of fans have turned out to watch some of the world's best golfers compete. But for many, the journey to the fairway starts not with a swing, but with a towel and a set of gold clubs. That's how 22-year-old Yoan Zozikov got his start. "You have to wet the towel first when you prepare to caddie," Yoan explains as he carefully cleans a golf club—something he's been doing since he was 16. Now in his final days at Rolling Green Golf Club in Springfield, Yoan reflects on how far caddying has taken him. "I was able to buy a new car, and it's also gotten me through college," he said. For Yoan and many like him, caddying isn't just a summer job — it's a stepping stone. "As a graduating college student, I tend to ask golfers about their path to success, how they became a member at a prestigious course like this," he shares. Yoan is one of dozens of recipients of the J. Wood Platt Scholarship, a program supporting caddies pursuing higher education. This year, 20 of those scholars are volunteering during the Truist Championship—not carrying bags, but still part of the action. "We have a motto: caddie, college, career," says Mark Peterson, Executive Director of the Golf Association of Philadelphia and the J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholar Program. "They come in, they caddie, they go to college—and they have a chance to build a future." Yoan hopes to continue caddying part-time as he starts his new career as an insurance broker, a path he's confident will keep him close to the game. "They say a lot of people in insurance play a lot of golf," he jokes. And just for fun, we looked into the highest-paid caddie in 2024. That title goes to Ted Scott, who caddies for World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. Scott's estimated earnings last year? A whopping $5.34 million.
