The Back of the Range
Weekly interviews from prominent amateurs, coaches, and personalities from the game of golf!
Displaying Episode 1 - 10 of 215 in total of The Back of the Range with the tag “usga”.
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Matt Vogt - Mid-Am Qualifies for U.S. Open
December 26th, 2025 | 1 hr 15 mins
amateur golf, ben adelberg, butler university, competitive golf journey., cranberry township, dentistry, gasparilla invitational, golf career balance, golf qualifier, jones cup, matt vogt, mental toughness, mid-amateur golf, oakmont country club, pressure in sports, reinstated amateurs, the back of the range, u.s. open 2025, usga, wine valley golf club
The guest on this episode of The Back of the Range is Matt Vogt, a dentist and accomplished mid-amateur golfer who earned one of the most memorable stories in 2025: qualifying for and competing in the U.S. Open at Oakmont. The conversation covers Vogt’s journey from a modest upbringing in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, to his college golf days at Butler University, and his later-life resurgence into competitive amateur golf. He recounts his U.S. Open Qualifying experience, the emotional significance of his late father during that run, and the whirlwind aftermath of suddenly finding himself part of golf’s biggest stage. Vogt offers candid reflections on balancing a demanding professional career in dentistry with elite-level amateur competition, sharing how he relies on supportive colleagues and flexible scheduling to make it work. He opens up about nerves, lessons learned, and the surreal experience of teeing off at Oakmont in front of thousands—a moment where adrenaline met disbelief. The discussion also touches on broader themes in amateur golf: the evolution of college recruiting, the rising standard of competition, the mid-amateur “fraternity,” and the ongoing debate about reinstated former professionals competing in mid-am events. The conversation ends lightheartedly, with banter about future tournaments like the Gasparilla Invitational and the Jones Cup, showing Vogt’s grounded personality and enthusiasm for competing with his peers.
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Nate Gahman - Georgia's Amateur of the Year
December 5th, 2025 | 41 mins 47 secs
georgia open, georgia state golf association, golf podcast, mid-am golf, nate gahman, palmetto amateur, usga
My guest on this episode is Nate Gahman, the 2025 Georgia Amateur Player of the Year. Not only did he qualify for his third consecutive appearance at the U.S. Amateur, he also picked up the win at the Georgia State Open and the Palmetto Amateur.
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Bryan Kim - Duke Men's Golf
November 23rd, 2025 | 23 mins 11 secs
amateur golf, bryan kim, college golf, duke university, golf podcast, junior golf, usga, walker cup
My guest on this episode is Bryan Kim from the Duke University Men's Golf team. With two wins early in the fall, he's put himself in contention for the Haskins Award and will look to lead the Blue Devils to a win at the ACC Championship in the spring.
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Kiara Romero - 2025 McCormack Medal Winner
September 11th, 2025 | 18 mins 32 secs
college golf, derek radley, golf podcast, kiara romero, lpga tour, mccormack medal, oregon women's golf, usga
Our guest on this episode of The Back of the Range is Kiara Romero from Oregon Women's Golf. She continues to collect accolades in the world of amateur golf and is currently the #1 ranked amateur in the world and the 2025 McCormack Medal Winner.
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Megha Ganne - 2025 U.S. Women's Amateur Champion
August 21st, 2025 | 33 mins 37 secs
amateur golf, bandon dunes, college golf, golf podcast, megha ganne, u.s. women's amateur, usga
Our guest on this episode of The Back of the Range is the new U.S. Women's Amateur Champion, Megha Ganne.
It is always a fun conversation when I get a chance to visit with Megha. It almost always goes in a multitude of directions. Sometimes it is serious, sometimes it is not. But in between the laughs and the inside jokes, she was able to share some insight on her career at Stanford.....navigating the NIL Space, and what lies ahead when she eventually makes the jump to professional golf. -
Tyler Watts - 2025 Sunnehanna Amateur Champion
August 8th, 2025 | 34 mins 4 secs
amateur golf, golf podcast, junior golf, sunnehanna amateur, tyler watts, usga
Our guest on this episode of The Back of the Range is junior phenom, Tyler Watts from Huntsville, Alabama. The winner of the 2023 Jones Cup Junior Invitational has been trending upwards since his runner-up finish in 2024 at the U.S. Junior and this summer captured one of the most prestigious title in amateur golf, the Sunnehanna Amateur title.
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Will King - 2025 Kansas State Amateur Champion
August 2nd, 2025 | 39 mins 19 secs
amateur golf, college golf, jayhawks, kansas golf, u.s. amateur, usga, will king
My guest on this episode is Will King from the University of Kansas Men's Golf Team. Will just picked up a huge win at the Kansas State Amateur, adding his name to a prestigious list of champions and building even more momentum heading into the fall season with the Jayhawks. We talked about life on the KU golf team, what it means to represent that storied program, and the tight-knit culture they’ve built in Lawrence. And with the U.S. Amateur looming at Olympic Club, Will gave us some insight into how he’s preparing for one of the biggest events in amateur golf.
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Jay Sigel - Remembering a Legend of Amateur Golf
April 20th, 2025 | 54 mins 16 secs
amateur golf, jay sigel, usga, walker cup
In this episode, we remember one of the true legends of amateur golf, Jay Sigel. Jay lost his battle with cancer on April 19th, 2025. This is a re-airing of the episode that he did with me back in 2019.
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Cameron Tankersley - Ole Miss Men's Golf
January 29th, 2025 | 24 mins 34 secs
amateur golf, cameron tankersley, college golf, golf podcast, ole miss, patriot all-america, usga
My guest on this episode is Cameron Tankersley from Ole Miss Men's Golf. He just picked up his first amateur win at the 2024 Patriot All-America and will look to help lead the #1 ranked Rebels to the National Championship in May. Great conversation with one of the most consistent collegiate golfers in the country.
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Scott Harvey - Founder of the East West Matches
October 26th, 2024 | 21 mins 45 secs
amateur golf, east west matches, golf podcast, maridoe golf club, scott harvey, stewart hagestad, usga
Great conversation with the founder of the East West Matches, Scott Harvey. We previewed the upcoming matches at Maridoe Golf Club as the series is currently tied 1-1.