Monday At The 125th U.S. Open
Rain stays away for most of the day as players practice and crowds take in wet Oakmont. Plus, Matt Vogt returns to the place where he caddied, Quotables and several course perspectives.
The skies opened up and turned blue for most of Monday, allowing an eager fan base to get their first look at storied Oakmont. The respite appeared short-lived when, around midday, the hard-working maintenance crew broke from routine (and their deserved midday nap) to top off the rough cut before as much as another half-inch of anticipated early evening rain. Watching the maintenance crew work made for better entertainment than logoclads turning every green into their backyard practice area.
Mercifully, the storm fizzled into a light spritzing. The Golf Gods intervened in the name of saving shoes and helping Oakmont to dry out.
A good portion of the field played at least nine holes over the drenched inland links. Most focused on how to deal with greenside hack-out shots from the absurd rough. During Scottie Scheffler’s round with Gary Woodland, the PGA Championship winner and favorite this week seemed intent on perfecting full swing power-flops. As you’d expect with the well-nourished rough, his results were decidedly mixed.
Overall, the thick stuff is probably a tad taller and severe in spots right off the fairways than the USGA had hoped to for. We’ll find out in Wednesday’s press conference. But between rain and inability to mow, the tall stuff will be a story the rest of the way. The good news for those who don’t want to return to par protecting days? The roll-free fairways appear to be playing much wider than planned. That should offset some of the brutal lies a yard or two off the fairway.
Several players were added to the field through world ranking, alternate status, or replacment of last minute injury-withdrawals. After naming names, we’ll look in on the incredible Matt Vogt story followed by a few quotes from Monday’s press conferences, all capped off with more course perspectives.
Field Update
With the RBC Canadian Open in the books and a few WD’s from the 125th U.S. Open, the USGA today announced the addition of three players under world ranking full exemption status. This brings the number of fully exempt players to 87.
Additionally, five alternates from final qualifying were added to fill out the 156-player field. The latest field news:
Ryan Fox moved up 43 spots to No. 32 in the world after winning yesterday’s RBC Canadian Open in a playoff over Sam Burns. It will be the 38-year-old’s seventh U.S. Open.
Cameron Young and Bud Cauley, who are Nos. 56 and 58 in the OWGR, respectively, became exempt. Each player advanced through the Columbus, Ohio, final qualifier on June 2 but their OWGR exemption takes precedence and opens up two more spots in the field. Young will compete in his sixth U.S. Open while Cauley is playing in his third.
The five alternates from final qualifying added to the field: Takumi Kanaya, Doug Ghim, Chase Johnson, Eric Cole and Riki Kawamoto. Kanaya will compete in his third U.S. Open.
Matthew Jordan, an alternate from the England qualifier, replaces Sahith Theegala who withdrew due to injury.
Matt Vogt Returns To Oakmont
The inspiring story of Oakmont caddie-turned-dentist Matt Vogt came full circle Monday when the 34-year-old sat down to chat with the media.
“Where we're sitting right now is not far from where I just sat in the caddie yard waiting for people on the range,” he said. “Or we walked right up this path to the caddie shack, the porch right outside the pro shop. Even as I just talk about it now, I get sentimental.”
Vogt’s incredible story was captured by Brentley Romine of NBCSports.com. In a nutshell: Vogt is a part-time competitive mid-am, long driver, caddie at Oakmont, who qualified for the 2021 U.S. Amateur here (and missed the stroke play cut on the unlucky side of the draw). And now he makes a living as a dentist. Vogt took a flyer at the Walla Walla, Washington qualifier, far from his Indianapolis home because the course looked wide open. Reaching this week only began the journey.
“Got about two hours of sleep on Monday night, just adrenaline and phone blowing up, and soaking it all in,” Vogt said of the days after the qualifer. “Then traveled home Tuesday. Wednesday still had stuff to take care of at home, personal and professional stuff. Took care of most of that Wednesday as we could. Tried to hit a few golf balls. Packed Thursday, played a little bit Friday, got in here on Saturday. It feels like it's been about three years in about six days, but it's been incredible.”
Vogt has nothing but fond memories of his time at Oakmont. He singled out retired hedge fund manager and longtime member Stan Druckenmiller for funding a scholarship under his named aimed at helping out emerging Danny Noonans of greater Allegheny County.
“I'm just indebted to this place, and I'm so grateful,” Vogt said.
(In the 1990s, Druckenmiller also donated the $750,000 necessary to build the spectator bridge that has since made the U.S. Open possible at Oakmont.)
Vogt said caddies were allowd to play “Monday nights” and that, “honestly, we did not appreciate that as much as we should have.
“I mean, thinking about it now, we should have been here every single Monday, but I'd be lying if I said we were.”
As for how Oakmont is playing since those caddie days and his 2021 U.S. Amateur appearance?
“All these little fingers and little additions to the sides of the greens, those have changed some of the visuals around some of the edges of the greens too, so they get a little tricky. Some of them run a little bit away -- it might look like a bowl. Some of them actually start to curve away. So those fingers have changed and little restorations around the edges of the greens have kind of changed the visuals.”
His advice for someone trying to learn greens confusing to read?
“Just try to kind of soak everything in as you walk up to the greens.”
If Vogt needs any help with lines, he will have Kevin O’Brien looping. He’s a very good local player and friend since the U.S. Amateur.
Then there is the pressure of playing before crowds larger than 100 people for the first time, all with a heavy heart and first Father’s Day looming since the passing of his golf-loving father.
“I say a prayer every night for people who have been affected by cancer,” Vogt said. “It's a horrible, horrible thing. He got that diagnosis last year, and it wasn't good. Over the past few months before his passing, you could see it 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.
“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 remained composed telling his father’s story until he thought of his daughter.
“It's a unique time in my life where, yes, my father passed, and I miss him dearly, but I have this beautiful 15-month-old daughter and a wife who supports me in pursuing this and doing these kinds of things. I thank God every day for them.”
Quotable
Dustin Johnson on Oakmont where he was the 2016 U.S. Open champion. “Coming back, I was back here one other time when I got my honorary membership here, for that ceremony, which was really nice. Proud member of Oakmont. I'm probably their favorite member because I never come.
Justin Thomas on the state of Oakmont after recent rains. “It's very, very soft. The fairways are -- they've obviously gotten a lot of rain here the last couple weeks, I think. It's still extremely challenging.
Xander Schauffele on light rough vs. hackout rough. “I don't think people turn the TV on to watch some of the guys just hit like a 200-yard shot on the green, you know what I mean? I think they turn on the U.S. Open to see a guy shooting 8-over and suffer. That's part of the enjoyment of playing in the U.S. Open for viewers...If you're a true fan of golf, it's more about what happens after the hack-out.”