Golfer misses out on PGA card when final shot at Web.com tournament is an inch short

This is rough.

Kevin Dougherty was on the verge of qualifying for his PGA Tour card, needing to shoot 2-under in the final round of Sunday’s WinCo Foods Portland Open presented by Kraft-Heinz*.

*Say that three times fast

Instead Dougherty ended up at 1-under on the course in North Plains, Ore. He needed to hole out a short chip shot that stopped rolling about inches from the cup.

While Dougherty undoubtedly will remember that shot, he also will be kicking himself for poor play down the stretch. According to PGA.com, he missed eight cuts in his last nine starts before the tournament in Oregon, which marked the end of the Web.com Tour’s regular season.

There is a second chance for Dougherty and other competitors on the Web.com Tour. There are four more tournaments, and 25 cards will be given to those “who earn the most cumulative money in the four Finals events,” according to the PGA.

Dougherty had prepared himself for potentially not getting his card.

“I saw a quote from LeBron (James) this morning; he puts a lot of pressure on himself all the time, but if he plays his own game, it will take care of itself,” Dougherty told PGA.com on Saturday. “So that’s my mindset for tomorrow. I also have to think that tomorrow’s not the last day, if it doesn’t work out. I still have four more events.

“It’s a blast. This is what my dream is, to chase this TOUR card. Out there, it’s a feeling. It’s euphoric.”

But not so much Sunday.

Among those who did qualify for a card is Chris Thompson of Lawrence.

This story was originally published August 20, 2018 at 2:12 PM.