Alistair Docherty had a strong start to his 2026 Korn Ferry Tour season with a T2 finish in the Bahamas in his second start of the year, but followed two straight missed cuts and went looking for answers.
One problem was his putter.
“I worked with a fitness coach this season, and we did a lot of exercises, and I couldn’t get my hands to sit properly,” Docherty explained on the last episode of GOLF’s Subpar Podcast. “I continued to hit the tees, I couldn’t start in line. And I took a wedge, and I said to him: “I putt so good with a wedge, what’s the difference?” “
The coach asked Docherty how he felt with the cradle in hand.
“Well my hands don’t have a flat part (to grip) – I just straightened them and rolled them,” he told her. “And I’m looking at a place and I rolled it on the place. There is nothing else.”
But that exercise made Docherty think a little more about his equipment, especially his grips. So he went home and got a putter he liked, stuck it regularly and cut it just short of his 60 degree wedge length. Then he went to the course to put in the game and “pretty much looking all day”.
He liked it so much that he took it with him to his next start – the Argentina Open – and he won. He still uses it now, and that’s what makes his bag so unique from other professionals.
“I have 14 of the exact same grips on my clubs,” Docherty said.
This win in Argentina was also crucial, as it helped Docherty secure enough points to eventually earn his PGA Tour card for next season. He will be a rookie of the PGA Tour in 2027, a major success after he had so many close calls while trying to secure his card years earlier.
“If there’s one part of my game that needs to be worked on, it’s the putting and short game,” Docherty said. “But if the putter starts feeling good, I’ll get down to business.”
You can listen to the full interview with Docherty hereor look YouTube below.
“>
