ALOHA, Ore. – Evidently reaching match play at the NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championships and earning All-America honors for the 2014-15 season weren't enough for Chico State's Alistair Docherty. The Vancouver, Wash. native continued his winning ways on the links during the final week of June, taking top honors Saturday at the 106th Oregon Amateur Championships, played at Reserve Wine & Golf Club in Aloha, Ore.
Docherty began the prestigious event with 36 holes of stroke play June 22-23, shooting 4-under par 140 to finish in a tie for eighth place among 123 golfers and advance to the field of 64 that would advance to single-elimination match play. The junior then swept six straight matches, earning the last two wins in dramatic style. Docherty came from four holes down to beat his semifinal opponent, then in Saturday's 36-hole match play final overcame a five-hole deficit to defeat Northwestern University sophomore Dylan Wu for the title.
"(Winning the tournament) was the goal coming into the week," Docherty told
The Oregonian following the championship trophy presentation. "I accomplished the goal, and I'm very proud of myself."
It was no easy road to the winner's circle. Docherty barely got out of the second round of match play, needing 20 holes to best Calvin Green. Following 2-and-1 and 3-and-1 match play victories over Nicklaus Baines and Alex Wrenn, Docherty was paired up in the semifinals against Joel Johnson, a former member of the University of Portland men's golf program.
Docherty was four down to Johnson after 12 holes before rallying to register his first of two straight come-from-behind victories, winning five of the final six holes and capping off the comeback with an eagle on the 18th hole for a 1-up victory to earn a trip to the 36-hole match play final.
Docherty and Wu engaged in a wild shootout in Saturday's final, combining for 16 birdies and two eagles.
Docherty jumped out to an early lead with birdies on two of the first four holes before bogeys on the next two holes allowed Wu to square the match. Wu began to take control with a stretch of five birdies in six holes before Docherty made two birdies on 16 and 17. Wu took the 18th hole to reach the halfway point 4-up with 18 holes to play.
As the pair teed off in the final's afternoon round, Docherty again started hot with an eagle on the 515-yard par five 19th hole and won the 20th hole as well. Wu birdied three holes on the second 18, but Docherty matched him with birdies with two of those holes. It took Docherty until the 30th hole to get the match back to all square, before taking two of the next three holes on his way to a 2-and-1 victory and the Oregon Amateur Tournament championship.
Docherty adds his latest title to his 2013 Oregon Public Links Championship and 2011 Oregon Junior Amateur crown.
Docherty made a point of telling
The Oregonian about the virtues of playing in the Wildcat men's golf program.
"You know, the competition level between Division I and II isn't that far off, especially when you're at Chico State and you're always playing against the better Division II programs," Docherty said. "I believe our Chico State team can compete with the Division I teams, maybe not at the very top, because we're not as deep as many Division I teams. But we compete every day, and that's what makes me better."
