Englishman has minor majors pedigree, but bigger goal in mind

Updated: June 14, 2007, 10:26 PM ET

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By Bob Harig
Special to ESPN.com
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OAKMONT, Pa. -- If it's surprising that Nick Dougherty is leading the U.S. Open, perhaps it shouldn't be -- especially considering the amount of time it took for him to get to this stage.

The Dougherty File

OAKMONT, Pa. -- Dougherty was young, rich and good-looking, and he took every advantage of it.

He golfed a little and partied a lot, blowing hundreds of thousands of dollars in cities across Europe. His night-owl antics were so well known he was dubbed "George," as in George Best, the soccer player whose carousing made him a tabloid staple.

Those days, though, are long gone. Not only has the 25-year-old Englishman cleaned up his act, he's playing like a phenom again.

"I like to think that people who know me as of the last couple of years think of me as one of the most professional players they know. I prepare as well as anyone. I train. I do everything the right way," said Dougherty. "I strive for perfection, and back in the day that wasn't the case.

"But, you know, I was a young man, and young men have fun. I don't regret it. Because now I know the right way to run my life and how to go about my professional career to get the most out of it, because I know what not to do."

-- Associated Press

He may be a relative unknown in this part of the world, but in British golf circles there was a good deal of fawning over the lad from Liverpool, who came up through Nick Faldo's junior golf program and even received personal instruction from the six-time major champion.

So far, that has not translated into the kind of success expected of Dougherty, 25, who shot 2-under-par 68 on Thursday at Oakmont Country Club to lead the U.S. Open.

This is only his sixth major championship. He's only made the cut once, at the 2005 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, where he tied for 52nd. He has never played in the Masters and in just one British Open.

He's fighting history. No European player has won a major championship since 1999, and none has won the U.S. Open since England's Tony Jacklin in 1970. Plus, in the past four U.S. Opens, eight men have owned or shared the lead after 18 holes. Only two have led after 36 holes. None led after 72.

"The other majors I've played, not including Pinehurst, I've been really struggling and that's the worst way you can come into a major, not playing well and the confidence is low,'' said Dougherty, who broke par for the first time in any major. "At the moment I'm still working on bits and bobs, but my confidence is high.''

That confidence -- or was it the bits and bobs? -- was certainly helped by his putter, which Dougherty needed just 11 times on the back nine.

Dougherty became a protégé of Faldo, who recognized the young golfer's ability as he prospered in the Faldo Series (a series of tournaments throughout Europe designed to give up-and-coming stars a taste of high-level competition). Dougherty's father Roger had started him in the game at age 4 and Dougherty became serious when he turned 11 and the family moved to Chorley and into a home next to a golf course.

AP Photo/Elise AmendolaDougherty's smooth swing led to four birdies and just two bogeys Thursday.

Roger Dougherty was not exactly easy on his son. As one story goes, he would require Dougherty to fetch approach shots that did not land on the green, run back to the spot and hit the ball again until it found the putting surface. "He would take me out every single night to practice, and sometimes it was hard on the family,'' Dougherty said.

At the urging of his father, Nick Dougherty also took up the flute after Roger, a big Beatles fan, traded in one of Paul McCartney's first guitars to buy the instrument. (Apparently, Roger Dougherty knew Pete Best, the original drummer for the Beatles.) Nick actually became an accomplished flute player while in primary school, although he no longer pursues it.

"I don't know why he did it," Nick said, laughing. "Can you imagine me asking for a flute?"

In 2001, at age 19, Dougherty turned pro a week following a successful outing as a member of the Greater Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team. One of his teammates was Luke Donald, who has gone on to win twice on the PGA Tour -- along with two more victories in Europe.

Dougherty has yet to find that success. Although he was the European Tour's rookie of the year in 2002, he followed that with two lackluster seasons before winning his first -- and so far only -- tournament at the 2005 Caltex Masters. He had five top-10 finishes last year but managed just a 39th position on the European Tour's money list.

This year, Dougherty has three top-5s, including a tie for second at the New Zealand Open. He gained entry into the U.S. Open by sharing medalist honors at a 36-hole qualifier in England.

"I believe I'm a good enough golfer to contend in majors whether it's now or this year or down the line,'' Dougherty said. "I want to be one of those European or British players [the] media look at to fly the flag for us in these tournaments, because we've had a drought recently, and hopefully it will be starting from this week.''

Bob Harig covers golf for the St. Petersburg Times and is a frequent contributor to ESPN.com. He can be reached at harig@sptimes.com.