NICK Dougherty will fulfil years of potential when he turns professional after the Walker Cup.

Even as an 11-year-old he was 'a class above' other juniors, says former Shaw Hill junior organiser David Dimsdale.

As a 16-year-old the Chorley youngster won the Nick Faldo Junior Series and was taken under the wing of the British legend, given exclusive access to the Faldo Golf Institute in Florida and given one-to-one tuition.

He won the series three times in four years and can now drive a ball further than his mentor.

He begins the quest for the Walker Cup at Sea Island, Georgia, tomorrow morning knowing it will be his first and only chance to achieve a lifetime's ambition to win the trophy for Britain and Ireland.

Once he turns professional he will no longer be eligible to play in the Walker Cup.

Dimsdale, who was the junior organiser at Shaw Hill when Dougherty moved there -- he and his family live inside the grounds of the course -- almost 10 years ago.

"He was always a class above every other junior golfer," he said.

"When we played inter-league games he always stood out even against juniors four or five years older, even though he was short and a short hitter.

"But his short game was always very good.

"He is just something else, there's no doubt he will make it, he was always the one who was going to make it professionally.

"And he has an exceptional temperament which is so important."

Peter Quibell, a former secretary at Shaw Hill, has known Dougherty, who has a handicap of plus four, for around seven years.

"If Nick Dougherty can't make it as a professional, I don't know who can," he said.

"Right from the beginning we knew he was something special. We have high hopes for him.

"Other amateurs like Gordon Sherry and Justin Rose didn't really fulfil their potential when they turned pro and that could happen to Nick but I don't think it will.

"If he doesn't make it you wonder who on earth can."

Dougherty played in the club championship at Shaw Hill -- his last competition as an amateur in England -- last weekend and won on the 11th hole against Daniel Richmond.

He gave up the chance to play in the English Amateur Championships for the club comp.

"He didn't do too well in the qualifying rounds, he shot 68 and 72, but in the final, he played against Daniel Richmond, who plays off about five, and he shot eight birdies and it was over on the 11th.

"I would put money on him making it."

Dougherty has everything, he is the complete golfer, says Quibell.

"He is the complete player. I have never known him not behave impeccably on the golf course and you can't say that about some of these prima donnas. You see players off scratch or one throwing their rattles out of the pram but I have never seen Nick do that. He's got the complete game, plenty of length and he drives it 20 yards further than Nick Faldo when they play together."