DURHAM, N.C. – Six days before Alistair Docherty was set to take on qualifying for the 125^th U.S. Open in North Carolina in a bid for his first major championship, his minivan was t-boned while making a turn, sending him to the ER. Despite his vehicle being totaled, he miraculously walked away with minor cuts and bruises but no significant impact that could bar him from competing that week at the Duke University Country Club. 

The U.S. Open Golf Championship boasts one of the most grueling and suspenseful qualifying journeys for those competing outside the Top-60 in the Official World Golf Rankings and past champions of the last decade. 

For the other 10,202 golfers from the amateur to pro levels of golf that hoped to tee it up at Oakmont Country Club later this week, they were battling it out for a measly 47 remaining spots at 13 qualifiers across the country. 

Alistair just happened to string together one of those strongest performances on "Golf's Longest Day," earning his first major championship start after almost a decade since his career began. 

Graduating from Chico State in 2016, Alistair Docherty immediately turned pro, playing in countless tournaments since his collegiate departure on the amateur Korn Ferry Tour, amassing 66 starts. Now, he can add the 125^th U.S. Open to his playing resume.

Hailing from Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, he stood out amongst the Chico State men's golf team in his four-year career with the Wildcats. He was the first Wildcat to win the individual title at the CCAA Championship 2015 at Brookside Country Club in Stockton. Earning All-American honors from the GCAA/PING in three consecutive seasons, and most notably, a member of the 2016 squad that finished as NCAA Championship runners-up at the Green Valley Ranch Golf Course in Denver. 

He becomes the second Chico State men's golfer to compete at a major championship on the PGA Tour; Brandon Harkins (' 10) qualified for the 2016 U.S. Open, finishing T59 at the same historic country club that Docherty is preparing for this week. 

Despite never coaching the alumni, current Chico State men's golf coach Nick Green ('07) has had the chance to build a long-lasting relationship with the alumni and is excited to watch him step up to the first tee at Oakmont, "It's an opportunity of a lifetime, and I am sure it's a dream come true for him."

"I think his entire story of how he persevered through so much, just to get to where he is speaks volumes about the competitor he is," Green continued to say about Alistair's determination to qualify for a major event, "He is a tremendous ball striker, but really, it's that toughness and competitiveness that has probably allowed him to get to this point in his career. Couldn't be more excited for him."

The Barstool Sports-backed golfer has been on the cusp of claiming a PGA Tour card several times and is still battling hard to make the leap onto the Tour. Docherty earned the opportunity to play in a PGA Tour event in his home country last season at the RBC Canadian Open, which followed a second-place finish in the inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic, the most PGA starts of his career.

In 2012, Alistair expressed that the individuals in sports that inspired him the most were Dustin Johnson and Jordan Speith. Come June 12th, he will compete alongside the two U.S. Open Champions at the Oakmont Country Club, which inspired much of his early playing career.

On Monday morning's first practice round, he jumped out alongside Brady Calkins and Bryson DeChambeau at Oakmont. His tee time for the opening round on Thursday will be released in the coming days, with plenty of big names in the mix and strong competitors eager to tee it up at the historic Pennsylvania country club.