Impatient Dougherty is ready to mix it with Tiger again at his second US Open

After all, debuts in the world's hardest tournament do not come much more impressive than leading after round one, playing with Tiger Woods in round three and finishing tied seventh after round four to earn himself a return trip this week.

Rough ride: Nick Dougherty hits a shot from the rough during his debut appearance at the US Open last year

Given that he flew to southern California as early as last Saturday - the event starts at Torrey Pines, near San Diego, on Thursday - you could literally say he cannot wait for another crack.

"It's true, I'm desperate for it to start," the 26-year-old Englishman said. "I just loved everything about it last year, the challenge of trying to cope with such a difficult set-up. I came away feeling so drained, I felt like I'd run a couple of marathons. But what an experience."

None more so than his first sampling of the unique pressures involved with standing alongside Woods when in contention on the weekend of a major. The first tee, deep into Saturday afternoon, is where no rookie is supposed to be.

Dougherty recalls shaking so hard it was all he could do to put his tee peg into the ground. Not surprisingly, he hooked the ball wildly into the undergrowth.

"I gave myself a heck of a talking to at that point," he confessed."I told myself this was the draw I had been waiting for my whole life, the best I could possibly have. So don't screw it up."

Dougherty calmed his nerves by recalling how Woods nervously duck-hooked his opening drive at the Ryder Cup in 2006.

"We both did it in the third round of The Open at Carnoustie last year as well," he said. "We've got an awful lot in common, you know."

He is smiling broadly now, and how good that is to see after the tragedy that befell him following the season's first major.

Watched by both his parents, Dougherty had finished tied 33rd on his Masters debut. While they flew home to Florida he went to the Heritage tournament in South Carolina and, with a round to play, was lying 10th.

Then came the sort of telephone call everyone dreads. His mother Ennis had collapsed and suffered a heart attack. She would never recover and died nine days later at the age of 61.

"We spoke every day and were very close, so it's very hard," he said. "Most of the time you cope and then something triggers a memory.

"But she would want me to get on with my career, get on with making the Ryder Cup team. I know she was very proud of the fact I was playing at Augusta."

Dougherty got so much out of the US Open last year in terms of confidence that he returned home and won one of Europe's most lucrative events, the Dunhill Links Championship.

Now he returns looking for some momentum after a period where the headlines have not been related to his play.

There was not only the loss of his mum. Just a fortnight ago he was involved in an uncharacteristic spat with television commentator, Peter Alliss.

Dougherty stands by his view that Alliss's comments on the pros competing in the third round of the PGA Championship at Wentworth were 'disrespectful'. But he appreciates that the gloriously privileged world top golfers inhabit means he is in a no-win situation.

"When you stick your neck out, it's very easy to be shot down and the best way to follow it is to play some good golf," he said.

On to Torrey Pines, and the personable Scouser is in good heart following an eagle three on the last hole he played, at the Wales Open, that sneaked him into a tie for fourth place.

"It's unlike me to give myself a pat on the back but a lot of my play over the weekend in Wales was more like it and just what I needed before the U.S. Open," he said. "It has been worrying me that I haven't been right mentally but I am getting back into a better frame of mind again and I'm sure the U.S. Open will help.

"It certainly did last year, where I proved to myself I could hold my own on the biggest stage.

"The bottom line is that I love playing in America in front of big crowds, the noise and the hoopla. I guess I'm a bit of a show-off in that respect."

With all that he has to look forward to, including The Open being staged next month at Royal Birkdale, a few miles from where he grew up, not to mention a possible Ryder Cup appearance under the captaincy of his mentor, Nick Faldo, clearly the opportunity exists to make this the summer of the show-off.

by Derek Lawrenson