England’s Nick Dougherty has an outside chance to qualify for the Masters Tournament, but only victory in this week’s TCL Classic at Yalong Bay Golf Club, China, will be good enough.
The 23 year old Englishman, 63rd in the Official World Golf Rankings, needs to win in the Chinese holiday resort of Hainan Island to have any chance of moving into World’s top 50 and secure a place in the Masters Tournament field for the first time.
Arriving in the Far East two weeks ago, Dougherty set himself a target of a first and a second in his bid to tee up at Augusta National and after finishing second to Mardan Mamat in the OSIM Singapore Masters last week, he is a step closer to achieving his goal.
“It is my last chance of trying to make the Masters,” said Dougherty, ahead of the TCL Classic, an event jointly sanctioned by The European Tour and the Asian Tour. “I need to win which is a tall order, especially in a good field like this. But it is possible.
“I am very pleased with that result last week. A first and a second is what I need to get in the Masters. It is a very, very tall order especially as I didn’t have a great practice in Orlando before I came out here. It is going to be difficult.
“I am going to try and relax more this week and let my golf just happen. If I do that I have a good chance. The good thing is, yes I need a first and a second but I am closer to it this week than last week. I have got the second. Now it is just one week and anything can happen in one week’s golf.”
Doughty faces a formidable task against a field that includes World Number 14 David Howell, Paul McGinley, the World Number 29, and defending champion Paul Casey, 57th in the World.
Asian Tour Number One Charlie Wi of Korea, last week’s winner Mamat, Thailand’s Thingchai Jaidee and Chinese superstar Zhang Lian-wei are also among the players poised to make Dougherty’s job all the more difficult.
“It would be fantastic to get into the Masters,” admitted Dougherty. “I am guaranteed to play in the US Open and The Open this year. I would like to think later in the year I will be higher in the World than I already am will then play in the US PGA if things go according to plan. To play in all four would be great this year. And I would have crept in. At the start of the season it was a fairly tall order to get in the Masters as it still is today but it is possible. It is one of those things that is so close as well. Two weeks from now I could be teeing it up at Augusta so it is very exciting.”
Jaidee is expected to again be leading the Asian challenge on a course that could suit his aggressive style of play. Whilst he came unstuck at Laguna National last week where the premium was on accuracy, there is a lot more room to play with at Yalong Bay which could play right into his hands.
“I think the course is fantastic, the fairways and greens look perfect and the scores are going to be very low,” predicted Jaidee.
“I stayed in Singapore for three days and practised and like my game now. If I have some good putts I might do okay.”
