Oakmont (United States) (AFP) – Former Oakmont caddie Matt Vogt, a 34-year-old Indianapolis dentist, was destined for an emotional Father’s Day weekend after his father Jim died at 65 of colon cancer two months ago. And that was before Vogt became an unlikely qualifier for this week’s US Open at Oakmont, where he carried clubs for six years as a youth.
“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 said Monday. “It’s a unique time in my life where my father passed and I miss him dearly, but I have this beautiful 15-month-old daughter and a wife who supports me in doing these kinds of things. I think this weekend is going to be full of gratitude and hopefully some good golf too.”
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Vogt skipped nearby qualifiers filled with PGA Tour players last week and flew halfway across the United States to Walla Walla, Washington, to compete at Wine Valley Golf Club, where he fired two rounds of four-under-par 68 to earn medalist honors and his place as a player at Oakmont. “Took a flier on it being a great course fit for my game. It paid off,” he said. “It feels like it’s been about three years in about six days, but it has been incredible.”
Vogt, ranked 1,173 in world amateur rankings, is proud to represent Oakmont’s “caddie yard” this week. “Oh my goodness. It has been crazy,” he said. “I’m still trying to like soak it all in, but also not get too sentimental about it this place means so much to me.” Alas, his years helping golfers at formidable Oakmont have left few insights on how to solve its dense rough and lightning-fast greens. “When you caddie here, you’re not really viewing the golf course in the lens of like tour-level golf,” Vogt said. “I know everything that’s going on, but not to the level of detail that you need to play in the US Open. It has been a mentally exhausting few days just starting to get to learn the golf course a little bit.”
– ‘From a boy to a man’ – Vogt signed his first autograph on Monday but moments later his father was again in his thoughts. “Walking up nine fairway after signing some autographs for some little kids, I looked up and thought about it. Anyone who has lost a parent, you feel these brief spurts of emotion. (Cancer) 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.”
The last few months, I feel like I’ve gone, in a way, from a boy to a man and matured as a person and as a dad. Dealing with emotions, Vogt said, is just part of dealing with Oakmont. “I’ve never played in front of more than 100 people, let alone 10,000,” he said. “If you try to ignore what’s going on, it’s like you’re trying to fool yourself, hide and ignore emotions about what’s going on. The theme of the week for me is to just be present and let those come as they may. Once you get closer to hitting a golf shot, you’ve got to snap back into focus.”
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