NICK Dougherty has poured his heart out over a ‘horrible season’ that has seen the Chorley ace’s ranking tumble outside the world’s top 500.

A once-glittering career has turned into a ‘very painful’ 2011, the Shaw Hill professional failing to pick up a single penny in prize money after missing the cut in nine straight events.

Only now has the 28-year-old revealed the true extent of the hurt he is suffering on tour, even admitting it has almost brought him close to tears.

Dougherty pulled out of last week’s Spanish Open, and instead travelled to Florida to seek advice from his father and mentor Roger, after his last disastrous outing at the Ballantine’s Championship in South Korea, where a second round 82 proved the final straw.

“I sat there and thought ‘I’m a million miles from anybody, I’ve missed another cut, I’m having a horrible season, I’m in a strange place, I haven’t got any of my support group here’,” said the former QEGS student.

“It’s a horrible, horrible feeling. You’re in a room and you know you need to escape it. It’s awful, terrible – a dark place.

“I just decided I needed to spend time with my dad. It was about clearing my mind, going back to basics and also being alongside somebody very strong-minded.”

Now ranked 526th in the world rankings, Doughery added: “Everyone fails at times, but I’ve always been the sort who comes back stronger.

“I’ve reached the point where I can’t remember how to play great golf any more and can’t picture what it felt like when I was winning tournaments.

“It’s been a long time and it’s heartbreaking to me, but I will always fight through it because it’s who I am – I don’t know any other way.

“There won’t be a lot of things that can touch me after this because it’s very painful.

“This stretch has not been a big part of my career. It just feels like my entire life – you can imagine, every day seems to last 10.

“You’re pulling your hair out and you’re almost close to tears – it’s like watching the same film every week – but you can’t keep me down. I got that from my dad and my mum.”

Dougherty, whose career highlights include landing the Alfred Dunhill Championship in 2007, is adamant he will one day find a route out of his dark tunnel.

He said: “I will keep going and I will find a way out – hopefully sooner rather than later.”