BLACKBURN'S Nick Dougherty has stormed back into golf's top 100 world ranking following his heroics at the US Open.

The Shaw Hill professional enjoyed his best ever major finish when sharing seventh place at Oakmont Country Club in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a performance that ensures him a return to next year's US Open and an invitation to the US Masters.

And while his fighting display has boosted his profile stateside, Dougherty, a former student at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, is now toasting a surge up golf's ranking table.

A poor 2006 season - in which he failed to make the cut in 10 consecutive tournaments - saw his world ranking tumble as low as 126th.

But the 25-year-old is now ranked 96th in the world and he will look to make further strides this summer.

He gets back on the course this Thursday in the BMW International Open at Golfclub München Eichenried in Germany, followed by the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond and the Open Championship at Carnoustie..

Dougherty pocketed just over £98,000 for his US Open feats, in which he led after the first round and was then paired with Tiger Woods in the third round, and he admits to experiencing an eventful week.

"Playing with Tiger was the high," said Dougherty "As amazing as it was leading the US Open, which will always be a high point of my career, playing with Tiger has been one of my dreams and to play with him in the third round of the US Open is a good as it gets.

"I am a good player, I think, but I am still young and have things to learn.

"Being in contention for a major is something I had not experienced and I went in at the deep end leading after round one - and I could get used to it."

In the aftermath of his final round, Dougherty believed he had been unsuccessful in qualifying for next year's US Masters.

However, his performance at Oakmont has been rewarded with an invite to the famous tournament at Augusta, Georgia.