Nick Dougherty
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Dougherty is an English
professional golf
er.
Dougherty was born in Bootle
, Merseyside
, and attended Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School near Blackburn, Lancashire
. He is a protégé of former professional golfer, Nick Faldo
, and had an exceptional amateur career. He won numerous tournaments including the 1999 World Boys Championship and three Faldo Junior Series events. In 2001 he was a member of the victorious Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup
team.
Dougherty turned professional in 2001 and gained membership to the European Tour
for 2002 via the final qualifying school
. In his début season he finished 36th on the Order of Merit, and was named the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year. He was hindered by glandular fever in 2003, and his 2004 season was also disappointing when he slipped to 97th on the Order of Merit. In early 2005 he earned his first victory on the European Tour at the Caltex Masters
in Singapore
, going on to reach the top 100 of the Official World Golf Rankings
in the middle of the year, and ended it in 15th place on the final European Tour Order of Merit. He also made a strong start to the 2006 season before struggling later in the year.
Dougherty would bounce back in 2007, and was the leader after the first round of the 107th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club
with a two under par round of 68. He eventually finished the tournament in a tie for seventh place. This is, to date, his best finish in a major championship
, and was also enough to gain automatic entry into the following years championship and the U.S. Masters. Later that year he secured his second European Tour victory at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, and finished the season placed 11th on the Order of Merit.
After a disappointing 2008 season which was marred by the sudden death of his mother, Dougherty recorded his third European Tour victory at the 2009 BMW International Open
in Munich
, Germany
. He was three shots behind 54-hole leader Retief Goosen
going into the final round. He shot a final round of 64 and ended with a one stroke victory over Rafael Echenique
, who made an albatross 2 on the par-5 18th, and by four over Goosen.
The win secured Dougherty a spot in his first major
of 2009, The Open Championship
at Turnberry
in July.
On New Year's Eve 2010, Dougherty married Di Stewart
.
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
Professional
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er.
Dougherty was born in Bootle
Bootle
Bootle is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England, and a 'Post town' in the L postcode area. Formally known as Bootle-cum-Linacre, the town is 4 miles to the north of Liverpool city centre, and has a total resident population of 77,640.Historically part of...
, Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, and attended Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School near Blackburn, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. He is a protégé of former professional golfer, Nick Faldo
Nick Faldo
Sir Nicholas Alexander "Nick" Faldo, MBE is an English professional golfer on the European Tour who now mainly works as an on air golf analyst. Over his career, he has won six majors: three Open Championships and three Masters. He was ranked the World No...
, and had an exceptional amateur career. He won numerous tournaments including the 1999 World Boys Championship and three Faldo Junior Series events. In 2001 he was a member of the victorious Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup
Walker Cup
The Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested biennially in odd numbered years between teams comprising the leading amateur golfers of the United States and Great Britain and Ireland...
team.
Dougherty turned professional in 2001 and gained membership to the European Tour
PGA European Tour
The PGA European Tour is an organization which operates the three leading men's professional golf tours in Europe: the elite European Tour, the European Seniors Tour and the developmental Challenge Tour. Its headquarters are at Wentworth Club in Virginia Water, Surrey, England...
for 2002 via the final qualifying school
Qualifying school
In professional golf the term qualifying school is used for the annual qualifying tournaments for leading golf tours such as the U.S. based PGA and LPGA Tours and the European Tour. A fixed number of players in the event win membership of the tour for the following season, otherwise known as a...
. In his début season he finished 36th on the Order of Merit, and was named the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year. He was hindered by glandular fever in 2003, and his 2004 season was also disappointing when he slipped to 97th on the Order of Merit. In early 2005 he earned his first victory on the European Tour at the Caltex Masters
Singapore Masters
The Singapore Masters is an annual men's professional golf tournament which has been played in Singapore since 2001. It is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the European Tour, and is one of many European Tour events established in East Asia since the early 1990s.There have been two important...
in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, going on to reach the top 100 of the Official World Golf Rankings
Official World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
in the middle of the year, and ended it in 15th place on the final European Tour Order of Merit. He also made a strong start to the 2006 season before struggling later in the year.
Dougherty would bounce back in 2007, and was the leader after the first round of the 107th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club
Oakmont Country Club
Oakmont Country Club is a country club and the "oldest top-ranked golf course in the U. S.", in the Pittsburgh suburbs of Plum and Oakmont, Pennsylvania, USA. The Pennsylvania Turnpike separates the eastern seven holes from the rest of the course....
with a two under par round of 68. He eventually finished the tournament in a tie for seventh place. This is, to date, his best finish in a major championship
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
, and was also enough to gain automatic entry into the following years championship and the U.S. Masters. Later that year he secured his second European Tour victory at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, and finished the season placed 11th on the Order of Merit.
After a disappointing 2008 season which was marred by the sudden death of his mother, Dougherty recorded his third European Tour victory at the 2009 BMW International Open
BMW International Open
The BMW International Open is an annual men's professional golf tournament on the European Tour. Founded in 1989, it has always been held in and around BMW's home city of Munich, Germany, and since 1997 has been played at the Golfclub München Eichenried....
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He was three shots behind 54-hole leader Retief Goosen
Retief Goosen
Retief Goosen is a South African professional golfer who has been in the top ten in the Official World Golf Rankings for over 250 weeks between 2001 and 2007. His main achievements have been two U.S...
going into the final round. He shot a final round of 64 and ended with a one stroke victory over Rafael Echenique
Rafael Echenique
Rafael Echenique is an Argentine professional golfer.Echenique was born in San Luis, Argentina. He turned pro in 1999. Having failed to gain a place on the European Tour via the qualifying school on four occasions, Echenique finally won his card on the main tour by virtue of finishing seventh on...
, who made an albatross 2 on the par-5 18th, and by four over Goosen.
The win secured Dougherty a spot in his first major
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
of 2009, The Open Championship
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
at Turnberry
Turnberry
Turnberry is a golf resort on the coast of the outer Firth of Clyde in southwestern Scotland. Located in South Ayrshire on the rugged coast, it comprises three links golf courses, a golf academy, a five-star hotel, designed by James Miller and completed in 1906, as well as lodge and cottage...
in July.
On New Year's Eve 2010, Dougherty married Di Stewart
Di Stewart
Diana Dougherty is an English television presenter, best known as the presenter of Golf Night on Sky Sports....
.
Amateur wins (10)
- 1997 Faldo Junior Series, Golf Foundation Player of the Year
- 1999 Faldo Junior Series, European Under 21 Championship, World Boys Championship, Polo Classic Under 19 Championship (United States)
- 2000 Faldo Junior Series, Polo Golf Classic Stroke Play Championship (United States), Guatemalan Amateur Open Championship
- 2001 Lake Macquarie AmateurLake Macquarie AmateurThe Lake Macquarie Amateur is an amateur golf tournament in Australia. It has been played since 1958 and is organised by and played at the Belmont Golf Club in nearby Marks Point, New South Wales...
European Tour wins (3)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 Jan 2005 | Caltex Masters Singapore Masters The Singapore Masters is an annual men's professional golf tournament which has been played in Singapore since 2001. It is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the European Tour, and is one of many European Tour events established in East Asia since the early 1990s.There have been two important... |
5 strokes |  Maarten LafeberMaarten Lafeber Maarten Lafeber is a Dutch professional golfer who won the Dutch, Swiss and Spanish amateur championships before turning professional in 1997.... ,  Colin MontgomerieColin Montgomerie Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31... |
|
| 2 | 7 Oct 2007 2007 European Tour The 2007 European Tour was the 36th golf season since the European Tour officially began in 1972. The 2007 season consisted of 52 official money events, breaking the record of the previous year. This included seven major championships and World Golf Championships, which are also sanctioned by the... |
Alfred Dunhill Links Championship | 2 strokes |  Justin RoseJustin Rose Justin Peter Rose is a South African-born English professional golfer who plays most of his golf on the PGA Tour while keeping his membership on the European Tour... |
|
| 3 | 28 Jun 2009 2009 European Tour The 2009 European Tour was the 38th series of golf tournaments since the European Tour officially began in 1972. There were major changes for the 2009 season as the tour entered a partnership agreement with Dubai based Leisurecorp... |
BMW International Open BMW International Open The BMW International Open is an annual men's professional golf tournament on the European Tour. Founded in 1989, it has always been held in and around BMW's home city of Munich, Germany, and since 1997 has been played at the Golfclub München Eichenried.... |
1 stroke |  Rafael EcheniqueRafael Echenique Rafael Echenique is an Argentine professional golfer.Echenique was born in San Luis, Argentina. He turned pro in 1999. Having failed to gain a place on the European Tour via the qualifying school on four occasions, Echenique finally won his card on the main tour by virtue of finishing seventh on... |
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | T33 | DNP |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
T52 | CUT | T7 | CUT | DNP |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
DNP | CUT | T42 | T78 | T38 |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
Team appearances
Amateur- Walker CupWalker CupThe Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested biennially in odd numbered years between teams comprising the leading amateur golfers of the United States and Great Britain and Ireland...
(representing Great Britain & Ireland): 20012001 Walker CupThe 2001 Walker Cup, the 38th Walker Cup Match, was played on August 11 and 12, 2001, at Ocean Forest Golf Club in Sea Island, Georgia. The event was won by Great Britain and Ireland 15 to 9, marking the first time that Great Britain & Ireland retained the Cup .-Format:The format for play on...
(winners) - St Andrews TrophySt Andrews TrophyThe St Andrews Trophy is a biennial men's team golf tournament contested between teams of amateur golfers representing Great Britain & Ireland and Continental Europe. It takes its name from St Andrews in Scotland, which is colloquially known as the "Home of Golf". The competition was founded in...
(representing Great Britain & Ireland): 2000 (winners) - Jacques Léglise TrophyJacques Léglise TrophyThe Jacques Léglise Trophy is an annual boys' team golf competition between Great Britain & Ireland and the Continent of Europe. It was inaugurated in 1958 and is organised by the R&A. Great Britain & Ireland dominated in the early years to such an extent that it was discontinued in 1966. It was...
(representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1998 (winners), 1999 (winners) - World Boys: 1998 (winners), 1999 (winners)
Professional
- Seve TrophySeve TrophyThe Seve Trophy is a biennial golf tournament between teams of professional male golfers representing Great Britain & Ireland and Continental Europe. It is named after five times major winner Seve Ballesteros, the most successful golfer ever from Continental Europe who was one of the key...
(representing Great Britain & Ireland): 20052005 Seve TrophyThe 2005 Seve Trophy took place between 22-25 September at Wynyard Golf Club, in North East England. The team captain for Great Britain and Ireland was Colin Montgomerie, with the captain for Continental Europe being José María Olazábal. The overall tournament host was Seve Ballesteros as he was...
(winners), 20072007 Seve TrophyThe 2007 Seve Trophy took place between 27-30 September at The Heritage Golf & Spa Resort in the Republic of Ireland. The team captain for Great Britain and Ireland was Nick Faldo, with the captain for Continental Europe being Seve Ballesteros...
(winners), 20092009 Vivendi Trophy with Seve BallesterosThe 2009 Vivendi Trophy with Seve Ballesteros, formally known as the Seve Trophy, was played 24-27 September at Golf de Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche in France. The team captain for Great Britain and Ireland was Paul McGinley, with the captain for Continental Europe being Thomas Bjørn...
(winners) - Royal TrophyRoyal TrophyThe Royal Trophy is a men's professional team golf tournament which was played for the first time in January 2006 at the Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi, Thailand. The competing teams represent Europe and Asia. Eight man teams play a series of 16 matches involving foursomes, four-ball and...
(representing Europe): 20092009 Royal TrophyThe 2009 Royal Trophy was the third edition of The Royal Trophy, a team golf event contested between teams representing Asia and Europe. It was held from 9–11 January at the Amata Spring Country Club in Thailand...