Image Credit: Matt Vogt @mattvogt317/Instagram

As the emotions were about to erupt from his eyes, Matt Vogt tried not to cry.

Matt Vogt (pronounced ‘vote’) grew up outside of Pittsburgh and spent his teenage years working as a caddy at the famous Oakmont Country Club. That course is hosting professional golf’s 125th U.S. Open next week. And thanks to a sequence of events that seems stolen from Hollywood, Vogt will be playing in it.

Ranked way down at 1,173 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, Matt works as a dentist in Indianapolis—but he shot 8-under par to win the U.S. Open’s Final Qualifying tournament in Washington state last weekend, earning himself a trip back to his hometown to star in golf’s national championship.

Vogt’s father passed away about two months ago, making the moment even more emotional. The 34-year-old wore a ribbon on his hat to remember his dad during the round. And Matt said he felt his presence, as the putts kept dropping in and the dream moved ever closer to reality.

“I told you I was going to try not to cry,” Vogt told the Golf Channel in a post-round interview that you can watch below. “We stayed present all day. I knew I could do this. I knew I could do it.

“You know, Oakmont, and Pittsburgh, and everything there means so much to me. Having grown up in Pittsburgh and caddied there, it took every ounce of energy in my body not to think about that all day.”

“I feel like I am going to wake up from a dream here in a little while and this isn’t going to be real, but it’s real, and I’m so excited.”

AMAZING: Golf Buddies Sink Consecutive Holes-in-One on Same Tee-Shot–Beating 17 Million to 1 Odds

Vogt, who played college golf at Butler University in Indiana, advanced through local qualifying earlier in the spring, then won this year’s Indianapolis Open.

After that, he needed to finish second at the U.S. Open Qualifying in Walla Walla, Washington to earn a spot in the championship, which starts June 12 in the Pittsburgh suburb of Oakmont.

Whether it was fate, destiny, or a little help from above, Vogt won the whole thing—and he didn’t hesitate to give his dad a little credit.

“I was looking up to the skies, and I knew he was with me,” Vogt told Reuters. “I wish he was here to share it with me, but I know he’s watching.”

PUTT-TACULAR!
• Watch 84-Year-old Lady’s Reaction to Winning New Car After Sinking Incredible 93-ft Putt
• Ordinary Black-American Didn’t Set Out to Change the World–But Did, When She Created First Golf Course Open to Blacks

In a few days, the humble dentist will return to Oakmont, the course that first inspired his dream two decades ago, and where he carried the clubs of other golfers while often letting his mind wander.

What would it be like to play in a U.S. Open here?

The answer will arrive next week as dreams and reality merge into one.

“I will soak up every single second of that week,” Vogt said in an article from GolfWeek. “It’s just a dream come true.”

WATCH the interview Golf below…

SHARE THE INSPIRING STORY With Aspiring Golfers on Social Media…