Matt Vogt | The once caddie, now dentist, and always Pittsburgh native prepares for the U.S. Open

Not too long ago, Matt Vogt was just a caddie at Oakmont Country Club with an “absolute pipe dream” to one day play a U.S. Open on the course that meant so much to him.

Vogt is now a dentist — with the same dream — and it’s about to come true. 

After an impressive performance at “Golf’s longest day,” Vogt quickly went from filling cavities to filling one of the coveted spots in the 156-man field at the 2025 U.S. Open.

“It means so much,” Vogt said on qualifying for the tournament so close to his hometown in Cranberry Township. “I’m still trying to soak it all in, but also not to get too sentimental about it because it’s incredible.”

Vogt caddied at Oakmont for six years, helping out OCC as it helped him — a feeling he reflected on in his opening press conference.

“Even as I just talk about it now, I get sentimental about it. This place means so much to me. The members are incredible. Stanley Druckenmiller, a prominent member here, provided me and a lot of the caddies with a scholarship to help with college,” Vogt said. “So I’m just indebted to this place, and I’m so grateful. I’m just so grateful, honestly.”

Pgatour.com called the story, “a modern-day U.S. Open fairytale,” and they are not wrong. Vogt is the 1,173rd ranked amateur golfer in the world — now with a chance to compete on golf’s biggest stage next to the most prominent names in the sport. 

Vogt knows his story is unbelievable, and besides shooting for the stars — or in his case — the putting green, he isn’t going to deny the opportunity to encourage others and prove doubters wrong.

“That’s one of my goals in doing all this this week, besides obviously doing the best I can in the golf tournament, is just to inspire some people, to let them know that it’s never too late to try to pursue something in your life that you think is really cool, and it’s something you want to do that other people think might be foolish or might be a waste of your time or maybe don’t believe in you,” Vogt said.

Vogt’s fairytale extends far off the links too. After arriving at Oakmont, Vogt was met with many fans, and for someone who has never played in front of more than 100 people and will soon tee-off in front of more than 10,000, the moment was “awesome.”

“The coolest part is seeing kids out there,” Vogt said. “It’s a true honor to be a part of that, to just see kids like that and, I guess, make a good impression on them here on the golf course.”

As far as expectations, Vogt doesn’t have any, and is focused more on letting his love for the sport carry him through the week. 

“I don’t have a specific goal this week. I don’t have expectations, and I don’t have the same going forward. It’s just what’s possible,” Vogt said. “It’s all because I love golf so much. I love the people that you come in contact with. I love the places that you end up. That’s honestly what it’s all about for me at this point.”

Watch Vogt tee off at 6:45 a.m. in the first group on Thursday with hopes to carry on the legend sweeping this year’s U.S. Open.