Dougherty confident of a good show in Oman

(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Nick Dougherty three-time European Tour champion and a former Walker Cup star has accepted an invitation to play in this year's National Bank of Oman (NBO) Golf Classic.

Dougherty who was born in Liverpool UK teed it up in last year's event at Almouj Golf in The Wave Muscat and found himself in a good position after a second-round score of 68 but couldn't capitalise on it shooting 76 and 78 to finish in the 57th position.

The Englishman made a name for himself with a remarkable amateur career and when he turned professional in 2001 he promptly gained membership to the European Tour through its qualifying school.

In his debut season in 2002 he finished 36th on the Order of Merit and was named the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year. In 2005 he clinched his first professional title in Singapore and two years later he was victorious at the Home of Golf with a win at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews Scotland.

Dougherty wrapped up his third career victory with a one-stroke win over Retief Goosen at the BMW International in Germany. The death of his mother Ennis in 2008 affected him and although the BMW win came a year later his game suffered causing him to lose his European Tour card in 2011.

Since 2010 he has spent much of the last few years on the Challenge Tour playing a number of European Tour events on sponsor's invites. 'The Challenge Tour is a bit more under the radar and it has been better for me to get on with things and make the improvements I need to make' said Dougherty.

This year Dougherty has played seven times on the European Tour on sponsor's invites and he knows that four good rounds in the NBO Golf Classic from October 30-November 2 will set him up nicely for an assault on the qualifying school.