Full-time dentist, part-time amateur Matt Vogt’s US Open homecoming ends with a kick in the teeth

Matt Vogt’s dream-like week heading up to his somewhat unlikely journey to the U.S. Open at a course he once caddied at ended with what felt, perhaps fittingly, like a trip to the dentist’s office.

The 34-year-old amateur — a Pittsburgh-area native who has a dental practice in the Indianapolis suburbs — had the honors early Thursday morning, taking the opening shot of the national championship’s 10th visit to Oakmont.

Vogt knew full well the danger of going right. Wanting to avoid putting the ball along Hulton Road, he instead pulled it left. Way left. His 337-yard blast ended up on the edge of the adjoining ninth fairway. He somehow managed to save par, which ended up being one of the few bright spots on a day in which he shot 12-over 82.

“You just can’t make physical and mental errors, you can like get away sometimes with one or the other, but you can’t get away with both,” he said. “And you just get behind the eight ball out here and honestly, your head starts spinning. That’s honestly what it feels like. Your head starts spinning out here and it just gets away from you.”

While Vogt who grew up about 30 minutes northwest of Oakmont, tried to tell himself he had “zero expectations” after going through qualifying to make the 156-man field.

Still, he was hoping to do a little better at the sprawling, links-like course than he did here at the 2021 U.S. Amateur, when he also shot in the 80s. Instead, he spent some time on the practice range Thursday afternoon, searching for something — anything really — to build on.

“I came into such optimism for this golf course, but it is so hard,” he said. “It’s just so, so hard. I’d say, in the moment, you feel like you get punched in the face, you know?”