As a wide-eyed 12-year-old at Stanford University’s golf camp, Dillon Dougherty had a chance to caddie for Tiger Woods when the world’s best golfer was still an amateur.
At one point during the round, Woods asked young Dougherty’s advice on club selection on a long par 3. Dougherty suggested an eight iron, prompting Woods to joke, “Who do you think I am, John Daly?”
Starting next week, the Northwestern senior can call himself more than a former caddie of Woods’. He can say he’s Woods’ colleague.
Dougherty departs today for Augusta, Ga., in preparation for the Masters Tournament, arguably the greatest event in all of golf. Dougherty became the first NU amateur to qualify for the Masters when he earned a spot last summer with his second place finish in the U.S. Amateur.
“I’ve been waiting seven months for it to start,” said Dougherty, who also earned an invitation to play in this summer’s U.S. Open at Winged Foot in New York. “It’s getting close. I’m pretty excited.”
With the long tradition of amateurs playing at the Masters, it would be very special for Dougherty to have some success and participate in the green jacket ceremony as the amateur with the lowest score.
Still, Dougherty has managed to keep his expectations low and his nerves from fraying so far.
“There’ll be different points where I’m more nervous than others,” Dougherty said. “The only expectation I have is to enjoy it as much as I can. But I’d love to make the cut, I’d love to be there Sunday and I’d love to be low amateur and be in the ceremony Sunday night.”
For now, Dougherty has a practice round set with former NU golfer and NCAA champion Luke Donald, currently 10th in the World Golf Rankings. The two have stayed in close contact since Donald called Dougherty after the U.S. Amateur to request a tee time at Augusta National.
“Luke’s been great. I think he’ll help a lot next week as well,” Dougherty said. “Answering questions I have, keeping me comfortable there and just knowing him and being able to practice and talk to him will keep me comfortable and ease the nervousness a little bit.”
NU men’s golf coach Pat Goss also will be there following Dougherty, if only as a fan because of NCAA regulations forbidding coaches to work with their players outside collegiate play.
Goss, who is Donald’s swing coach, plans to be in Augusta from Sunday to Wednesday for all the preparation leading up to the tournament, but with the rest of the Wildcats in action at the Boilermaker Invitational on April 8-9, he won’t see any of the four rounds.
“I told the team already I might have to stick in that clubhouse a little longer at Purdue to watch some golf,” Goss said. It’s the chance of a lifetime, the opportunity of a lifetime.”
And if he gets the chance, Dougherty may have a reunion with Woods.
“I think I’ll go talk to him about (the caddying experience) and see if he remembers,” Dougherty said with a smile. “But for some reason, I don’t think he will.”
Reach Zach Silka at [email protected].
