By Nia Davies

Dougherty likes a drink or two

Nick Dougherty holds his hand up. Okay, so he's a party animal who occasionally burns the candle at both ends.

But the 21-year-old Briton, who has been hailed one of the most promising golfers of his generation, is not about to give up the high life.

Dougherty is just as happy strutting his stuff on the dancefloor as he is burning up the fairway.

And his reputation away from the course has already earned him a few dubious nicknames.

"Some of my mates call me Georgie, after Best," he admits. "And not because of my football skills.

"When you're on Tour it can be very intense so when I do get time off to spend with my mates I like to party a lot. Sometimes too much.

"Being a golfer doesn't have to mean being a robot. Golf's not the geeky sport it once was. The hairstyle, the lifestyle, it's all part of it now.

"I play my best golf when I'm happy with myself - and that's not necessarily after a hard day at the gym."

Named Europe's rookie of the year last season, Dougherty has struggled to live up to his billing in his second season on the Tour.

Because I was sleeping so much I was having to cut down quite a bit on my practice and I just wasn't ready for a few of the tournaments Nick Dougherty

Admittedly, he has spent most of the season laid low by glandular fever.

But he marked his first steps on the road to recovery with his best-ever Tour finish at the Scandinavian Masters in Sweden earlier this month.

And he says he would love to complete his comeback by clinching a place in the Seve Trophy and a top-20 spot in the European Order of Merit.

"Looking back, I don't think I realised how good a first year I'd actually had," he said.

"This season's been more of a struggle and at times I'd have done anything to get that year back again

"With glandular fever you don't feel ill, it's just that your energy levels are never high. At times, I was sleeping 16 -18 hours a day.

"Because I was sleeping so much I was having to cut down quite a bit on my practice and I just wasn't ready for a few of the tournaments.

This year could end up being even better than last year if I manage to finish the job off well Nick Dougherty

"I was finding that by the last six holes I was starting to lose my concentration and flag a bit.

"But if you convince yourself you're not well it can become an excuse. You've just got to get on with it.

"I think I've sorted myself out now. In fact, this year could end up being even better than last year if I manage to finish the job off well.

"All I've got to do to get there is keep working hard and keep improving. There's no magic formula. I need to do all the things I'm doing now - but better."

And when he does make it, rest assured there will be no one partying harder.