Korn Ferry Tour player Kevin Dougherty joins Any Given Monday to talk about the greatest round of his life: a 15-under par 56 at Seven Canyons in Sedona, Arizona.
Kevin Dhy. Uh, thanks for joining us, Kevin. And let’s start with, uh, I assume the best round of your life. Yes. No, definitely. It was best round of my life by far. I believe 61 was kind of my best before that. And yeah, it was a cool little story. We were up in Sedona for Thanksgiving. And my grandfather’s been a founding member of that club since it opened in ‘ 03. So, and you guys had like a tradition to go up there every Thanksgiving and play this like family round. Your dad was there, brother. Yeah. Yeah. We have a place up there uh inside Seven Canyons. Yeah. So, we spend maybe a month kind of periodically throughout the year up there and we kind of always do Thanksgiving. So, it was my dad, my brother, and then another buddy came up from Scottsdale, Josh Anderson. And yeah, I mean we played the day before and had a good day and next morning woke up and then that happened. So So uh you shot 30 on the front. Is like was there a moment that you were like I mean you’ve played you play pro golf. I mean you know like a few holes in whether you got it or you don’t have it. Uh was there a shot on the front nine you’re like man I’m really striping it. You obviously you’re not thinking 56 but like No, I wasn’t thinking I wasn’t thinking 56, but I made I made an eagle on the par five on number seven to go to six under and then I made like a eight or nine footer for par on number nine just to kind of shoot six under. I’m like, okay, this is nice. And got up on 10, hit a driver and had 120 yards and made birdie and then made about a 12 to 14 foot on the next hole and then birdie 12. So now I’m nine under through nine under through 12. And I would say that’s kind of where the first thought kind of crossed my mind. Yeah. And then I went sorry. Um, so I birdied those first three holes, the 9 10 11 12 to go to 9 under. And then I hit the two iron from 270 on a par five to literally I mean this far to where I didn’t have to mark it. I just went up and tapped it in. And yeah, but then I was 11 under. That’s where I was like, okay, like we have a chance to Is anybody talking about Kevin like in a pro in a in a tournament situation and like you’re approaching the magic number? No one really talks about it, but like the card has X’s like your your dad and brother picked up. It was like you guys are having fun. It’s just a regular round, but I assume everybody’s like, “Oh, he’s playing well.” And now there has to be a point they’re like, “Oh [ __ ] this is like getting relatively serious.” I think that was kind of the the turning point to where I was able to go crazy low is like I was mindful of the opportunity that I had to go and shoot this crazy low score number and like I didn’t really shy away from it. I mean, because I could tell like my brother and my dad, they go over to the cart and you kind of see him like counting and I’m like, “Let’s just like I’m going to put it out in the air like, hey, like let’s go and shoot as low as we can.” And I wasn’t going to try to distract myself from Yeah. So, I felt like I dealt with that pretty well and then I made like those number, what would it be? 14s at Yeah. 170 yard downhill par three or something like that. hit a good shot and made like a 15footer. So now we’re technically under the 60 number at 12. Yeah. And just kind of kept going and then sure enough the next hole hit a wedge into a par4 and I had 15 feet and made it. So now I’m 13 and the 16th hole is maybe one of their signature holes. It’s this beautiful dogly right with water up all the up the right and like a big two-tiered green and we played it the day before to a left pin and I hit mini and it flew over the green kind of into the back bunker. So I knew that I had to take it at the flag because mini if I pull it at all it goes into the national forest and it’s a lost ball. So before I got up there, I’m like, “Hey, like if if we’re going down swinging, like we’re we’re gonna let it rip.” So I’m aiming right at it. Yeah. And I mean, it couldn’t have come off any better. And it flew just over the front bunker. And I mean, it went to 12 feet and then rolled that in. And that’s where I was like, “Okay, this is pretty wild.” Now we’re 15 under through 16 holes. And actually, I missed the green on the next par three. um tipped it up to seven or eight feet and hit a pretty good putt and it kind of went in the right side and almost did a complete 360 but went in which was was nice and then I had probably 30 feet for 55 on 18 and lagged it up there to I don’t know two feet and we had like a little match going inside the game and everyone kind of just picked up their mark and I marked it and lined it up and yeah knocked it Is there any nerves, Kevin? Like I mean, you deal with nerves on like a level all the time in your career. I assume it’s like maybe 59 there wouldn’t have been a ton of nerves, but like this is obviously another Yeah, I think I think that it was getting so low that the nerves were actually maybe less. I think if I had to bar the last hole to shoot 59. Yeah. Um that golly that might have been the uh a little more nerve-wracking, but I feel like I handled it pretty well and just kept playing as free as possible and just kind of see kind of let everything come together. I mean, again, I was looking as you were talking the the back n started 3 three three two three two three. I mean, you had one four 26 on the back n insane. What was the course record prior to this? It was it was 61 and yeah and we didn’t even know it and I’m pretty like nonchalant and like I’m not driving up to the clubhouse whatever and uh my buddy Josh asked uh one of the outside service guys like hey what’s the course record the guy’s like oh like probably just thought we were joking like whatever and he’s like oh 61 and Josh is like how about 56 is that any good and the guy kind laughed. I was like, “Oh, yeah, that’d be awesome.” And like, so they didn’t really get it at first and then gosh kind of like was like, “No, like it actually happened.” So, but yeah, it was Is the card is the card there? Is the card going up somewhere? It is. So, we have I have the original card and then I kind of had this like vision in my mind like I kind of wanted like the calligraphy almost like an art piece. Yeah. So, we found someone to do like a very cool uh I mean, it’s probably maybe two feet wide and I mean very nice. Has the logo and it’s all perfect. So, it’s going to go up in the gym at the house. Yeah. Who kept the scorecard? Whose perfect handwriting is that? That’s me. Yeah, man. Yeah, that is I keep the card every day here in Dallas and I just That thing is pristine. I’m kind of a nerd. Like I love pen. I love good handwriting. Yeah. Yeah, I do love a good calligraphy. Handwritten scorecards, uh, scoreboards with like pros that could do calligraphy is a lost art I miss very much. Um, I don’t know if you’ve seen it, but Casey Jones from the PJ tour, he does he handwrites every player and score for that Tailor-Made Invitational at Pebble Beach. Yeah. I think there’s 4 20 players counting pros and amateurs. I mean, it’s this massive conference room from wall to wall and it’s all handwritten. I couldn’t imagine how many pens he goes through. Amazing. Yeah. I mean, obviously the best round of your life, Kevin. Like, do you take anything away from it? Like that you’re playing well, like how ridiculous. Do you laugh at it? Like what’s kind of your I think a week out whatever it is Ben is like do you look how do you think about the round outside of like it was insane. Do you take away anything from it? I think so. I think you definitely try to take away as much as you can and I’ve made a pretty big swing change this off season and I’ve started to see some progress kind of under the gun on the golf course which has been fun. Um so that was nice to see. I think some of the mental aspect uh you can definitely take away and that’s what I talked with one of my coaches about was like not shying away from the chance of shooting a low number or vice vers I mean next year if you’re around the cut line like not trying to shy away from it or play conservative just to sneak in like realize that hey this is what we signed up for professional golf like accept whatever you can and try to go be as free as possible. So, yeah, I definitely think there was some underlying lessons and messages throughout any round of golf. What’s uh what’s the preparation? So, transitioning to professional like your career like Q school’s coming up, Kevin, how do you what’s the preparation like? How do you not put enough pre like too much pressure on yourself, but also make sure you’re like in the best spot you can be going in? Yeah. So, I actually have no pressure on myself because I’m not going. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I’m not going. Um because I’m making this big swing change. Oh, nice. Yeah. I wanted all the time in the world to be ready for So, I mean, it was a pretty big decision to make. Um, what goes into that, Kevin? So, let’s let’s I mean, yeah. No, for sure. Like is it the fact that like uh you want to build on it and you don’t want to hurt any confidence or anything by doing that or you just don’t think you’re ready and you want to be you want another season of like building on the progress you think you’re making? Yeah. I just I would rather be ready to go in January and especially with them taking away the ties. Yeah. I think is a little I don’t know what the right word would be, but I mean to play off for your tour card from 190 guys I think’s a little and yeah, I just wanted to kind of have the time to focus on what I need to change and not be so worried about, okay, I got to be in form in the middle of December. Mhm. I mean, we just finished the season, I feel, like a month and a half ago, and I took three weeks off, which was the longest I’ve ever taken off, and played 27 out of 40 calendar weeks. Um, and I would rather go finish sixth at one of the Bahamas events and finish six at Q school because so just kind of demoralizing if you do that, right? Like just like Yeah, that’d be tough. I mean, it’ be a great week, but then you’re like, “Oh, man.” A little bit of a let down, but I mean, who knows? I mean, it might be the right decision. It might not be. And I know there’s a bunch of guys that are going to go, and hopefully some of my buddies get one of those five spots. Let’s go back to just addressing the swing change, Kevin. So, like it I mean, I was just listening to your subpar uh and like you been had a lot of close calls and got to two or struggled. Yeah. Again, played solid last year, but again, another close call. When does the when did you are like what happens to make you think like I got to make some changes? Is it a a the year on the PGA tour? Is it something that happened in thing? What leads up to like, man, I got to make some changes? Yeah, I would say it’s probably been maybe the last two years because I think when I was on when I played the my first rookie year on the PJ tour, I believe I was maybe top three strokes gain driving. I mean, it was it was an insane year of driving the golf ball. I mean, it was long, it was straight. I think it was over 70% of the fairways. And from there, I was like 150 to 200 kind of approach to the green. And so that was a little bit of like a flag. And then last year I kind of felt with where my swing was, I almost was at my ceiling. Like kind of think like how am I going to get better? Like it’s kind of some weeks it’ll be on, some weeks it’ll be off. Like I’ll have to make the occasional 25footer to have a better round. And that just didn’t really seem like sustainable to me. And I’ve had the same coach forever. and we’re very transparent like, “Hey, like I just I want to see what this guy says.” And he goes, “Yeah, I think that’ll be great.” And so he I mean, I had my coach down here with a new guy brought in from Nashville. And within 10 minutes, it kind of had like the look that I was trying to get that I felt like when I played my best golf. and kind of from there I’ve seen a big change in some of the like the wedge distances um shot shapes flight and stuff like that. And so that’s kind of been pretty inspiring to see that change on the golf course and um it’s been very nice. Is it scary Kevin? Like do you make a change like this and understand like guys who have made changes and it hasn’t worked out getting back to like a starting point is almost as difficult as like making swing changes. I think like amateurs like oursel just don’t understand how difficult what we think might be a minor swing change can have effect can have. So is it a scary decision or you’re like no I’m staying like this I’m just never going to. is like this will never be good enough so it’s not as scary. Yeah. I think honestly I think you hit it right on the head. I think in the past I’ve been a little hesitant to change just because I don’t want to say I’m complacent with where I’m at but I mean whatever top two three 400 in the world like yeah it’s a good spot and I’ve made a good living and like it’s provided great things for me and my family. So, it’s been like I don’t know if like the unknown, like I don’t know what’s on the other side, but I just kind of felt like with where at now, what am I 30 four years old? And um I just feel like if I really want to get back to the PJ tour and compete, like this is this needs to happen. I need to become a better wedge player. I need to become a better iron player. And I need to get back to my superpower of driving it very very well. I mean, I didn’t drive it terrible last year, but there was times when I was in contention that it did cost me where if I hit in the fairway, it’s a little better, but instead I hit it in the fairway bunker and stuff like that. So, yeah. I mean, it’s just um it’s kind of something that I was I’ve just committed to and I think it’s I think it’s going to be the right decision and we’ll time will tell. When you’re going through this, Kevin, is there like looking back on it, is there moments that you’re like, “Oh, this is right.” Or is it very much like you got to continue? I mean, even if it’s like the casual round where you shot 56, I’m not talking about the score, just how the swing feels in those moments. Is this like, oh yes, this is right, or is this like, yes, I feel like I’m the right path, but like the answer of whether it’s right is six months away or whatever that number is. Yeah, I think I think one I think the ball the ball doesn’t lie. And for me, kind of like the lititness test is these low spin half wedges that I’ll need to hit. And I always kind of go back to if I can hit a low spinning wedge and 11 at pebble. I mean, the greens hits like that. If I can get those started online and correct distance, like that’s kind of my my test for myself, then I I believe it’s correct. And I’ve been able to hit those shots at a higher success rate. Um, I obviously still have some bad patterns in there or old patterns I should say that I’m trying to work out. But yeah, I mean I do believe that it is correct. You just have to you have to test it and different situations, right? Like how it feels in the final group on the corn ferry. Yeah. If you make it back to the PJ tour, how it feels there is like for sure. It’s I assume it’s just always like evaluation. Not that you haven’t done that your whole career, but I would assume especially now when you make a significant change. Yeah, absolutely. And it’s just it’s just these little like stepping stones each day to where Yeah. at first you’re doing it on the driving range and then you’re doing it at a playing a banker game at our club here in Dallas and then we played that Pebble Beach event a couple weeks ago and hit some quality ones there. So, yeah, it’s just kind of just the journey of all of it just to kind of see how it holds up. As I was saying, I I was listening to your subpar and you were talking about uh the COVID double season and you were like golf wasn’t fun and you were had a bunch of close calls. This is before you got to the PGA tour. Yeah. I and I’m taking this just you know knowing that you’ve decided not to go to Q school knowing you’ll be on the corn ferry for the entire season next year. Is is that a look into that you are truly enjoying the game understanding that like this is not where you want to be next season but it’s what’s best for long term just that you’re looking more longterm Kevin. Yeah I would say so. Um I mean I would love to kind of have a lens look into what a year from now like the golf swing looks like and where my game’s at. And I feel like I have a very good plan in every aspect of my game, which has been which has been nice and kind of freeing a little bit. And yeah, I mean, I’m I’m loving the process of kind of just going through the work. And I’d say kind of those co years and a little bit of even maybe on the PJ tour and there’s a lot of comparison. And I mean, comparison is the thief of joy and Like I thought whenever I got to the PJ tour, I thought it was just going to be this euphoric 365 days. And I mean, it couldn’t be more opposite. Like when someone tells you like the joy is found in the journey, like it could not be more accurate. Um, and yeah, I got a great taste of that. like I made it to the pinnacle of our sport and yeah I probably wasn’t in the best state of mind and there was I didn’t love it but looking back on it I mean it’s the dayto-day and the travel and the memory I mean that’s where it’s all found. So when you say there’s no joy, I mean this is talked about often. I talk about it often. Like a PGA tour range uh is like the least camaraderie of any tour, right? Like Cornfair, you guys all have a common goal. Not that you’re not competing against each other, but uh there’s some like we’re all trying to get to the top spot and the PJ tour is very much like it’s become a relatively lonely spot. like if you don’t go up there with your best buddies, you’re like staying at an Airbnb alone and everybody’s kind of in their own bubble. Uh is that was that part of like not enjoying it, Kevin, and how you figure out how to find that a little bit? Yeah, I mean definitely the the camaraderie is definitely a lot different um between those two tours and yeah, I mean you’ll have you’ll play with a guy on Sunday on the PJ tour and you’ll travel the next day and you’ll see him on Tuesday and you thought you guys had a fun day and kind of walk right by you and not even see you. Um, so yeah, it’s definitely different and I had a good a good group that I traveled with um on tour, so that made it that made it much more enjoyable. But yeah, I mean it’s definitely I mean you’re away from your family and I have I had a daughter at the time and now we have a daughter and a son. So I was gone quite a bit and if you’re not playing great, you kind of start like, well, what am I doing? like, yeah, I’m not seeing my kids grow up and I’m not playing great. So, yeah. I mean, there’s there’s a lot to it that I think a lot of people don’t see. I mean, everyone sees the PJ tour and through Instagram’s eyes and getting on jets and playing all over the world and so I think it’s a little bit different for I’d say pretty much everyone except for the top maybe 50. Yeah, something like that. But I mean it’s amazing like at the same time. I mean you’re you’re the 1% of 1% and so yeah I mean there’s it’s just a large spectrum of things you go through the entire year. And I think do do you think Kevin getting back to that is like getting back to the PGA2 you’ll be better prepared that it isn’t this like euphoric like Yeah. Oh, you have we all have it. Like I’m not a pro golfer, but we all wanted to like we have this like I take it from the media side. I thought the PJ tour was like this big temple and it’s not this big temple. It’s like so that that I assume is just part of the process of being a rookie and what you learn about going forward is like, man, it’s it’s just a business up there. I got to go up there and it’s not going to be like this all wonderful great thing. Yeah. No, I definitely think that the expectations um will definitely be different. I mean, before getting my tour card, I played a handful events on the PGA Tour and I mean it was Riviera, US Open, Napa, Vegas. So, they’re like some of the the biggest ones and I’m like, “Holy cow, like this is how it is every week.” M. So, I think that was a little bit of like the shock to me is when you go to some of the alternate field events and I mean it just I mean it feels very similar to a cornfair event. You’re playing obviously you’re playing for more money and stuff like that. Um so yeah, I just think kind of learning the ropes um the first time around and just getting getting more reps and stuff like that would be extremely beneficial. Uh, so then like just a full concentration on corn ferry and like getting prepared for the Bahamas, starting it off like as good as possible. I mean, you you’ve had so many good seasons on the corn ferry tour, I assume it’s like from a mental standpoint, Kevin, is that like are you excited because of the swing changes? Like I assume and and you talked about it on subpar. you you had a lot of close calls. It’s hard mentally to go back to the corn ferry tour thinking and knowing that you shouldn’t be there quote being quotes is like feel like you should be everyone feels like they should be on the PJ 100% and you should yeah but does the swing change like help with some of that monotony of like man this is this is different it’s not the same thing. Yeah. No, it definitely feels I mean it feels like it’s definitely sparked sparked a fire and I just I mean I enjoy I’m just enjoying like the process of all I’m enjoying getting to the golf course and doing all my stuff and I mean it just feels I don’t know it just feels exciting and I mean yeah just I mean I think no matter what tour it would be I believe if I had this mindset like it’s going to be a positive outlook. I mean Cornferryy, PJ tour, DP whatever. Um, and I think I think that’s kind of the mindset that some of the the best guys have. And and I think that’s why Scotty’s so good is I mean the guy has he has it seems like he has no ulterior motives. He’s just simply there to do what he needs to do and just strictly to compete. He’s not doing it for money. He’s not doing it for fame. He’s just wants to compete. And I think that’s there’s a lot to be said with that. Kev, I appreciate I appreciate the time. That was super good. Super cool insight into swing changes like uh and the decision to not go to key school is is like super awesome for listeners. I appreciate the honesty and the time and uh if you’re if you’re shooting 56 with it, it seems like seems like we’re on the right the right path. No, definitely. There’s some there’s some good stuff for sure. Awesome. Thanks for the time, man. I appreciate it. Yeah. Thank you.
