The last time Alistair Docherty graced the digital pages of Golf Digest, the news wasn’t so great. At the Korn Ferry Tour Championship back in October, Docherty needed a runner-up finish to climb into the top 30 and earn his PGA Tour card. Docherty lived up to his end of the bargain, firing a final-round 68 that moved him into a joint tie for second, but there was catch. Docherty could only be tied with one other player to earn the points he needed. Unfortunately for him, both players in the final group on the course sunk clutch putts on the 18th hole to join Docherty in a three-way tie for second, bumping the Canadian to 31st in the season standings.
Docherty’s bad luck looked set to continue last week, when the Korn Ferry pro was T-boned while trying to make a left-hand turn in his minivan. The car was instantly totaled and Docherty found himself “covered in glass, blood everywhere.” He spent the next nine hours in the emergency room, getting various scans and tests until he was eventually discharged.
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The timing seemingly couldn’t have been worse, with Docherty set to compete in U.S. Open Final Qualifying in six days’ time, but ironically enough, the accident seemed to flip Docherty’s fortunes. Not only wasn he “lucky to be alive,” but he went on to shoot 72-64 at Duke University Country Club on Golf’s Longest Day, clinching his first-ever major championship berth. Listen to him tell the story.
INSANE two weeks for Alistair Docherty …
From surviving a car accident to qualifying for the @USOpenGolf 🤯 pic.twitter.com/05QTaeJXr7
— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) June 4, 2025
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Going from the front seat of a crumpled minivan with an airbag slammed in your face to the first tee at a U.S. Open is an all-time turnaround. Golf is a game of averages above all else, and after brutal run of luck, the numbers finally seem to be turning in Docherty’s favor.
“I’m glad I stuck around and battled it out. There’s just no quit in me,” Docherty said of his rollercoaster week. “I knew what I wanted to achieve and I’m just happy to be going to Oakmont next week.”
What an awesome mindset from Docherty, who is clearly tough as nails, both mentally and physically. That’s a good sign too, because with the way the Oakmont setup is looking, he’s going to need all the grit he can get.
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This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
