He was drafted into the Army after high school and served a tour of duty in Vietnam.

Dougherty developed a serious interest in golf while stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington after returning from Southeast Asia.

Dougherty began play on the Senior PGA Tour in the spring of 1998.

With over 5.8 million dollars in official earnings after reaching the age of 50, he has enjoyed a far greater degree of success on the elite senior circuit as compared with his regular career.

Dougherty's personal interests include model trains and classic cars.