Tour pro “lucky to be alive” qualifies for US Open

A Korn Ferry Tour pro qualified for the US Open on Monday, despite being involved in a serious car crash last week.

Alistair Docherty was competing in Final Qualifying at Duke University Golf Club, where he finished T2 to seal a spot at Oakmont.

It will be the 31-year-old’s first start in a major championship. Incredibly, it will mark a whirlwind few weeks for the Canadian-born man.

Docherty was returning from a practice round in Knoxville, Tennessee, last Tuesday, when his car was smashed into by another vehicle.

“I was covered in glass, blood everywhere and went to the hospital for eight or nine hours to make sure I had no broken bones, or no bad injuries,” he told the Korn Ferry Tour.

“There was CT scans taken, and I’m just lucky to be alive.”

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With a total score of four-under 136, Docherty sealed one of seven spots at the US Open qualifying site.

Now, he’s delighted to be afforded a first crack at the game’s ‘big four’ as he hunts down a PGA Tour card.

“I’ve had to deal with adversity my whole life,” Docherty said ahead of this week’s BMW Charity Pro-Am.

“I just deal with it and say it’s another bump in the road; there’s nothing that is going to stop me from getting a PGA Tour card.

“To go to my first major after the crazy events that have happened over the last year or two years, and especially in the last two weeks, shows that I’m very mentally tough.”

On ‘Golf’s Longest Day’, Docherty opened with a 72 in Durham, North Carolina. But an afternoon 64 saw him leapfrog the majority of the field.

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“Sunday, I played a practice round at Duke, made a lot of strides in my health and felt pretty good going into Monday,” he added.

“The morning round was really hard to get warmed up for, having no PT on site and just doing everything on my own.

“But when the sun came out and there were a few less mud balls, my body started loosening up and got on a bit of a heater.

“So, I’m glad I stuck around and battled it out. I mean, there’s just no quit in me. I knew what I wanted to achieve and I’m just happy to be going to Oakmont next Sunday.”

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Tryst Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.