Shock US Open qualifier Matt Vogt says his dentistry business has received “tons of enquiries” since he made this week’s field at Oakmont, as the amateur golfer reflected on the “absolute pipe dream” of playing at the major.

In a fairytale story from last week’s final qualifying events, the 34-year-old Vogt – who is ranked 1,173rd in the World Amateur Rankings – finished eight under par across two rounds to win in Washington and secure a debut place at a major.

Qualifying for Oakmont carries particular significance for Vogt, given he grew up half an hour away from the course in Pittsburgh and caddied there in his youth for five years.

Since 2018, Vogt has run his own dentistry practice in Indianapolis and, asked in his pre-event press conference appearance on Monday about whether it had received more calls since his US Open place was secured, he replied: “I think they’ve gotten a ton of enquiries.

“I’ve got such a great team, I’ve got friends helping me out with all those messages and enquiries and said, ‘hey, guys, forward those to Chris, my buddy, and make sure you stay focused on patients because that’s what we’re there to do in McCordsville, Indiana’.

“It’s been a lot of fun, some patients reaching out and fellow dentists. I feel like there are so many people behind me this week – Oakmont, Pittsburgh, dentistry – it’s been fun.

“Honestly, from a business perspective, that’s not what it’s about. We try to take good care of people, and if it brings us more great patients that we can help, awesome. It will give us something to talk about maybe in and around the office.”

Vogt admitted that while the last week “feels like it’s been three years in about six days”, the whole experience was proving “incredible”.

“It means so much,” he said of appearing in a major so close to his home town.

“Honestly, with the restoration work here at Oakmont and everything going on with the Open, I try not to even pay attention to it because I knew that it was an absolute pipe dream to get here.

“It is for the best pros in the world, let alone amateurs. So I almost didn’t want to think about it too much.

“I’m still trying to like soak it all in, but also not get too sentimental about it because it’s incredible. I mean, where we’re sitting right now is not far from where I just sat in the caddie yard waiting for people on the range, or we walked right up this path to the caddie shack, the porch right outside the clubhouse — or outside the pro shop.

“Even as I just talk about it now, I get sentimental on it. This place means so much to me.”

‘I just never quite had it’ – Vogt on his unconventional golfing journey

While a caddie at Oakmont, Vogt said he was able to play the course on Monday nights, although admitted: “I mean, thinking about it now, we should have been here every single Monday, but I’d be lying if I said we were.”

Years later and, having completed his first practice round, he has noticed one significant change on his return.

“The rough is about four inches higher, five inches higher. The rough’s the biggest part,” he said.

“This course is so good all year long, and the rough is the biggest change or the biggest thing I’ve noticed.

“When you caddie here too, you’re not really viewing the golf course in the lens of like tour-level golf, so that’s been interesting too. I’m going around and thinking how I would play the golf course now at this point in my life, so that’s been a bit of a change.

“Like I know everything that’s going on, but not to the level of detail that you need to play in the US Open.

“It’s been a mentally exhausting few days just starting to get to learn the golf course a little bit.”

And on his golfing journey to this point, Vogt recounted: “I really never had any aspirations of playing professional golf. I feel like just even in junior golf, like I was a pretty good junior. I went to Butler University and played very briefly on the golf team and then decided to focus on school.

“Honestly, maybe I didn’t dream big enough or maybe, I don’t know, I just never quite had it. I played around a lot of guys who you could tell had it and had a chance to make a shot at professional golf. It never really crossed my mind.

“Now I’ve said this a few times in some interviews, but trying to pursue amateur golf, trying to compete at whatever level that is and get to whatever level I can get to is just, it’s almost like a challenge to myself, like what can we do?

“I don’t know what that is. 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.

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“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.”

Vogt’s plays in his first major two months after his father, Jim, died from colon cancer aged 65.

“I have a 15-month-old daughter now, and everyone knows about my dad’s recent passing, so even the last few months, I feel like I’ve gone from, in a way, from a boy to a man and like matured as a person and as a dad,” he said.

“So the coolest part is seeing kids out there. They might know who I am, they might not. They just know I’m playing golf inside the ropes, and maybe they’re thinking about doing it themselves someday or just chasing their dreams. They’re probably out here with their parents and making memories and having experiences.

“It’s a true honour 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.”

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