Monday, September 27, 1999
'Thrilled to be second'
Dougherty's 67 good for fourth runner-up of year
BY MIKE DeCOURCY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MASON — This keeps happening. In Des Moines. In Kansas City. In Indianapolis. If Ed Dougherty is in the Midwest, he's in second place.
“Somebody just plays better, that's all,” Dougherty said. “I beat a lot of people to land in second place. I just have to beat one more.”
After holding the lead following two rounds of the Kroger Senior Classic, Dougherty shot 3-under-par 67 in the final round at the Golf Center at Kings Island. But he would have had to go two better to tie champion Gil Morgan and force a playoff. Morgan shot 63. Dougherty was runner-up for the fourth time this season.
Painful? Hardly. This is a good life and he knows it. Dougherty has been on the PGA Senior Tour for two years and hasn't won a tournament, but he has won about $1.3 million — more than he earned in two decades as an on-again, off-again player on the PGA Tour.
“I'm thrilled to be second, but I'm not content to be second,” Dougherty said. “Whatever second place is — $115,000 or whatever it is — I have $115,000 reasons not to be disappointed.”
Actually, it was $123,200. Still reason to be pleased.
At the U.S. Senior Open, Dougherty closed with a 72 but Dave Eichelberger shot 64 to beat him by three strokes. At the TD Waterhouse Classic, Allen Doyle shot 64 while Dougherty fired a 68 and lost by two shots. Two weeks ago at the Comfort Classic, Morgan also got Dougherty by two.
Dougherty had a few opportunities to challenge this time, but could not make birdies once he reached the back nine. He parred nine consecutive holes, from the ninth to the 17th.
The most obvious miss came at the par-3 16th, one of the most difficult holes this week. Dougherty landed his tee shot 12 feet from the hole, but misread the break on his putt.
With a birdie there, he would have been 10-under with an opportunity to play for an eagle at the 18th. Without it, he still attacked the green with his approach on the closing hole but was thinking birdie to hold off playing partner Dana Quigley and keep second to himself.
Dougherty did not check the scoreboard on the back to see Morgan was moving forward. He knew he was tied at No.9, but then went about his business. “When you play out here long enough,” Dougherty said, “you realize you've got no control over what Gil Morgan's doing. I used to be a mailman. I knew too many people's business.”
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