Matt Vogt must be a quick study.

The 17-year old Cranberry Township resident has been golfing competitively for just two and a half years.

But he's become a force on the amateur circuit.

Vogt, who will be a senior at Seneca Valley High School in the fall, won the Tri-State PGA Junior event (boys 17-18) Monday at Aubrey's Dubbs Dred Golf Course.

His final score of 46 on 12 holes was good for even-par and the win after the action was shortened due to rain.

In all, Vogt has competed in four events this spring, winning two and placing second twice.

The other victory came at the 'Best of the Best Golf Tournament' at Totteridge Golf Club near Greensburg earlier this month.

"That event had 68 WPIAL golfers in it," said Vogt. "I am surprised that I have done so well after just two and a half years of playing competitively. But I'm just so dedicated.

"I take a few months off in the winter for basketball. But once the snow melts, I'm back out on the course."

The two second-place finishes could also benefit Vogt in the long run.

One of those came at a Tri-State PGA junior event at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort June 11, in which Vogt lost the title in a playoff after he and Irwin's Alex Angelone both shot three-over-par 73 in 18 holes.

One day before that, Vogt was second behind Grove City's Ryan Prokay at the West Penn Junior Championship at Shadow Lakes Country Club in Beaver County.

He entered the final round down by five strokes, fought his way into the lead, only to lose by one stroke after double-bogeying the last hole.

Vogt, who ended the two-round event with a 151 (77-74), came within two strokes of winning an event that Arnold Palmer won twice as a youth.

"That was very disappointing," said Vogt. "But, after the initial shock of giving away the tournament, I realized that it's going to fuel me for the rest of the summer.

"I proved that I can play with anyone in the area."

Vogt also won two Tri-State PGA junior events in 2007, but unlike many of the golfers he is now competing against, his love affair with golf didn't begin until he reached ninth grade.

"I used to go golfing with my dad and my grandpa used to take me to the driving range," Vogt said. "But it wasn't until I gave up baseball my freshman year that I really got serious about golf."

Vogt played on the Raiders' junior varsity squad his freshman season and moved to varsity during his sophomore campaign.

Last season, he proved to be one of the WPIAL'S best golfers for most of the fall, leading SV with an average score of 37 per nine holes.

"I made the WPIAL (individual) finals, but didn't make the cut," he said. "It was pretty bad.

"But this fall, my goals are to win WPIALs and states," added Vogt. "There's no point in setting the bar any lower."

"Matt's such a talent," said Raiders' coach Steve Mayes. "He's athletic, but he's also a student of the game and he works hard at it."

Vogt will be competing in a U.S. junior qualifier and a National PGA Junior Series event later in the summer.

He plans on making competitive golf a part of his life long after high school.

"I've been talking to a few college coaches, from lower Division I to higher Division II and III," Vogt said. "I want to play in college, but I haven't decided anything yet."

For the time being, Vogt will continue to keep things in perspective.

"I'm playing the best golf I've ever played," he said. "I'm calm and relaxed. I just go out and hit golf shots and don't worry about the outcome.

"I love winning and I love playing golf. Doing both at the same time is great."