By AMANDA VOGT

OAKMONT, Pa. — Bryson DeChambeau won last year’s 124th U.S. Open dramatically out of a bunker with a shot that shocked the world. I stood on the right side of the fairway, behind the ropes, just across from where he hit his second shot, trapped next to the tree. The electricity of the moment, the emotions of victory and desolation of how Rory McIlroy unraveled coming down the stretch lingered in the air at Pinehurst No. 2. 

And I couldn’t help but wonder what was going on behind the scenes: the questions journalists asked, the answers players had, the stories written, the thought process through the intrigue. 

But a year later at Oakmont, with a credential around my neck, I didn’t have to wonder. I saw it first-hand as history was written before my eyes when J.J. Spaun did the improbable and won his first major championship. 

Winning one of two inaugural Herbert V. Kohler/Golf Writers Association of America scholarships provided me with an experience I will hang on to for the rest of my life. It was surreal to walk into the media center and meet people in the industry I’ve dreamed of meeting. Everyone was incredibly welcoming, and I am truly grateful for those who took the time to give me feedback and advice throughout the week.

I counted down the days until I would make my way to Oakmont. I always watch golf, reading stories all the time. I was so eager to get there. The course was awesome, such a cool layout that proved to be a brutal test all week. But it was the driving range and practice areas that were the most exciting. Getting to see players up close and learning how a lot of stories come to life out there is something you don’t get to see on a TV broadcast.

Learning from Golf.com’s Sean Zak about how he builds relationships with players and caddies and seeing that in action put a lot into perspective. I picked his brain on stories he wrote in the past and the process of what he and his team look for throughout a week, which was really eye-opening. 

At home in Wayne, N.J., I work at a county golf course, and Golf Channel is always on in the pro shop. I watch it often. When Rex Hoggard brought us behind the scenes of the “Live From” set, it felt as if I were watching the real-life version of Penn State Sports Night, one of the clubs I’m in that produces a weekly live sports show. Seeing the cameras and how everything looks behind the scenes was a unique perspective that I was lucky to experience. 

The anticipation of who will have the life-altering moment that comes with winning a major championship is indescribable. You can feel it on the range, behind the ropes walking the course and through the players themselves. It was an exciting environment to jump into when the first round started on Thursday. 

Going inside the ropes with The Athletic’s Gabby Herzig was a totally different feeling when we followed DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele and José Luis Ballester for the front nine. It’s the little things that a player does that doesn’t always get shown in the broadcast that I found so interesting. How they linger after missing a putt, how they walk between shots and how they interact with caddies and sometimes volunteers and fans was really cool to see up close. I learned how key it is to be observant and how keeping track of those little details can enhance a story. 

Whenever I watch golf, I always think about what I would ask a player post round, and I finally got that chance. During press conferences, I observed the other reporters but also asked questions of my own, which was surreal. The individuality of golf and the stories that follow each player is what gravitates me toward this industry once I graduate from Penn State in May. 

Spaun won the 125th U.S. Open when people had already started counting him out before the rain paused the action on Sunday and the rest of the field faltered. I stood with other reporters while Tyrrell Hatton spoke after he finished when the final putt dropped. Thirty minutes later, I attended Spaun’s press conference and got a glimpse of what goes through the mind of someone when he accomplishes a dream. 

The drama on a major championship Sunday was real, and it’s different when seeing the aftermath after covering everything that leads up to that one defining moment. To everyone who took the time to meet with me, look over my work or give advice, thank you. Being at Oakmont was a dream come true.   

Amanda Vogt, a Pennsylvania State University senior from Wayne, N.J., expects to graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism.