Cranberry native, dentist Matt Vogt writes storybook tale at U.S. Open Final Qualifying
By Josh Rowntree, Director of Communications • June 4, 2025
Day by day, Matt Vogt helps give people bigger, brighter smiles. But, on Monday in Walla Walla, Washington, nobody was smiling more than Vogt.
And perhaps no one deserved to as much as he did.
A Cranberry Township native, Seneca Valley High School grad, current dentist and former Oakmont Country Club caddie, Vogt shot 8-under in Monday’s U.S. Open Final Qualifying round at Wine Valley Golf Club.
The low scorer honors solidified his position in the 125th U.S. Open, set to be contested next week at Oakmont.
“I remember walking the fairways at Oakmont as a kid, thinking that I want to be a member and play in events here someday,” Vogt told the WPGA Tuesday. “To play in the U.S. Amateur and now the U.S. Open, I can’t describe the feeling. I am truly speechless and so grateful for my experiences at Oakmont.”
For Vogt, this path to Oakmont is about as unconventional — and maybe as improbable — as anyone who will take on the world’s best players and one of the world’s most challenging courses for golf’s national championship.
Vogt was a strong player at Seneca Valley and in regional competitions as a child and young adult. He finished fourth at the PIAA State Championships as a senior while with the Raiders and was a constant figure on the leaderboard in WPGA events.
He went on the play collegiately at Butler University in Indiana for nearly two years. But, as dental school and his professional life became more in focus, he left the game that he loved.
“I quit really just to focus on school,” said Vogt, who now works as a dentist in Indianapolis. “College golf is really hard, and I was not prepared mentally or physically for it. I really didn’t pick the game back up seriously until 2018. I said, ‘I love golf, and I am going to try it again.’”
Qualifying for a U.S. Open is a significant moment in any player’s career. But, for Vogt, it seemed a bit like destiny as it unfolded in Walla Walla.
Vogt lost his father, Jim, in April. And the memories of his father — one of his biggest supporters throughout his career — flooded his mind as he competed. Add in the possibility of playing for a major championship in his hometown, and checking his emotions became a complex battle in itself as he worked through the 36 holes during ‘Golf’s Longest Day.’
“There were multiple times, especially on the back nine where I was almost in tears just thinking about my dad, the circumstances,” he said. “It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I’ve learned that if you shy away from those moments, they aren’t going to happen. You can’t ignore what’s going on, you just have to say, ‘yeah this is what we’re doing, this is what we’re trying to achieve’ and just snap back to what the goal is on the next shot.”
Vogt isn’t a stranger to playing competitive, USGA sanctioned golf at Oakmont. He competed in the 2021 U.S. Amateur Championship, contested at Longue Vue Club and Oakmont Country Club.
Still close with many other West Penn players, Vogt was floored by the reaction from those in his hometown, which poured in via social media, texts and calls until late into Monday night and Tuesday morning.
“I had 416 text messages when I pulled my phone out of my bag,” said Vogt, who hopes to lock down close friend Kevin O’Brien as his caddie for the U.S. Open. “I still can’t process what I’ve done. I called my wife, I had a little talk with my dad, who is now in heaven, and that’s pretty much it. The outpouring of support with the Oakmont and Pittsburgh connection, I feel so loved and so grateful for the people around me.
“My life and career took me out to Indy, which is awesome. I am an adoptive Hoosier. But my blood runs black and gold.”
Vogt credits his Western Pennsylvania roots for helping lay a foundation in competitive golf. And now, as he sits on the doorstep of his return to the course that he’s walked a couple thousand times, he is able to briefly reflect on all that has built this moment.
“West Penn made a huge impact on me, and it was such a great opportunity,” said Vogt. “West Penn did such a great job with the West Penn Amateur and Open. As a golfer who wants to play competitively, you have to start somewhere and continue to build on your experiences no matter if you fail or struggle. You work your way up, brick by brick.
“Playing West Penn was all a part of the process. I am incredibly grateful, and I know I’ll always have that connection to West Penn.”
Vogt now must quickly reset. He’ll work his way back across the country before preparing for the golf tournament of a lifetime. Next Thursday, more than a decade after carrying bags for those playing Oakmont daily, he’ll walk the course alongside the game’s elite, as an equal. As a competitor.
“I might cry or be in tears on the first tee,” he said. “I think it is important to have a ton of self-belief, but I have zero expectations for the week. I just want to embrace everything and love every second of it no matter how things go. That is going to be the way for me to enjoy the week and play the best golf I can.”
On top of that, Vogt hopes to serve as an example for those in Western Pennsylvania and beyond. And to make proud those who have supported him and will begin to with his story rapidly spreading.
“I love the places and people you come in contact with around golf,” he said. “I just embrace the process of getting better and better every time I get out there. I hope I can be an inspiration to those who have aspirations or dreams outside of their career. That’s the message I hope to get across this week. It is never too late to follow your dreams.”
For any media inquiries, please contact WPGA Director of Communications Josh Rowntree.
About the WPGA
Founded in 1899, the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association is the steward of amateur golf in the region. Started by five Member Clubs, the association now has nearly 200 Member Clubs and nearly 37,000 members. The WPGA conducts 14 individual competitions and 10 team events, and administers the WPGA Scholarship Fund and Western Pennsylvania Golf Hall of Fame.