Most of his peers are prepared to admit that the quest to catch Tiger Woods is a lost cause. When the world No 1 is the most successful golfer who has ever lived, the secret is not to be better than him, but to be much, much younger.

The 32-year-old Woods hasn’t even peaked yet, which means that Ernie Els, 38, and Phil Mickelson, 37, can forget it, while the Britpack in whom so much hope was invested not long ago have only the smallest window of opportunity. How the 30-year-old English duo of Paul Casey and Luke Donald must wish they had been born a few years later.

Nick Dougherty enjoys that privilege. Like the slightly older Justin Rose and the much younger Rory McIlroy, the 25-year-old Englishman is hoping to be in his prime when Woods is past his. Even if he turns out never to be quite good enough, at least he can dream, which is more than can be said for some.

“Tiger is too far ahead of everyone right now, but 10 years from now, I’ll be 35 and he’ll be 42,” says Dougherty. “How long will he be at the top for? How long will he want to be at the top for? In a perfect world, you would like to take it from him, rather than have him step away from the game, but the way it is going, you do wonder if waiting for him to retire is our only hope.”

While many players are demoralised by the yawning gap that has to be bridged, Dougherty believes that it has forced him to improve his game and better prepare himself for the years AT (After Tiger): “He has raised the bar, and because of that, he has raised the standards of all those around him. It’s almost like an evolutionary process. There is still a huge gulf, of course, but the guys are better now than they used to be. Eventually someone will catch him, because that’s what happens in golf. Just don’t expect it to happen any time soon.”

Dougherty was a precocious talent in his teens – the 1999 world boys champion – and with two European Tour titles to his name, he is still ahead of schedule.

His victory at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in October propelled him into the world’s top 50, which allows him to play in this year’s biggest events, including The Masters and this week’s WGC Accenture Matchplay in Tucson, Arizona. It also answered a few questions. There are shades of Rose about Dougherty’s career path. While others opted for college in America, Dougherty burst on to the professional circuit before he had turned 20, initially made an impression, but then struggled with the burden of expectation and had to mature and do his growing up in the public gaze.

Off the course, Rose had the loss of his father to deal with, Dougherty the debilitating effect of glandular fever, as well as a champagne lifestyle that led caddies to call him “George” (as in Best). He admits that he knew his lifestyle had to change. Now, with all that out of his system, he has the experience of an older man.

“It’s nuts. What I’ve done in seven years as a professional golfer, a lot of guys couldn’t fit into a career. I’ve seen a lot of the world, had some great times when I was younger, and been through a lot of changes, but I don’t regret any of it because my life is different now,” he says. “I have reached the stage where I know that I have to go and get stuck in. To win more tournaments and compete at the highest level, I simply have to give it 100%. I’m not good enough otherwise.”

Dougherty’s great leap forward was on the links of Scotland last autumn, after a year in which his ability to win had been called into question. Twice last season he had let titles slip through his grasp, and the critics were quick to point out that there had been an element of luck about his win in the 2005 Singapore Masters.

He acknowledges that the pressure was building. “I had screwed up in Singapore and Italy, so every event after that became more and more difficult. I led 10 tournaments last year, and I was really starting to feel that I had to get one done. It went from being an opportunity to being an absolute must for me. The media focused on it, and you do tend to get a bit down on yourself, so to win that event, with that kind of field, in the way I did . . . it was a huge achievement, but it was a great relief as well.”

This is a big year for Dougherty, whose task is to build on the breakthrough.

In contrast to the early days, he has become a prodigious worker, and not just on the range. Those who are close to him speak of his desire to explore every avenue, be it in the gym, with a golf book or in the company of his psychologist. Lately he has been trying out new breathing exercises.

He is receptive to new ideas, attentive to detail, much as Nick Faldo used to be. The winner of six majors took “little Nick” under his wing more than a decade back, and would doubtless like to have him in his Ryder Cup team in September. Dougherty’s fun-loving personality would be an asset to the team room, and his aggressive playing style would come in handy.

“The Seve Trophy is the only matchplay golf I have experienced lately, which is a shame because it’s my kind of game,” he says. “I’m a passionate player, and I like man against man. It helps me to stay in the moment.”

At the WGC event, which he is playing in for the first time, Dougherty might find himself face to face with Woods. The American can be vulnerable over 18 holes, as Nick O’Hern demonstrated last year, but the young Englishman knows better than to suggest as much. Stephen Ames made that mistake in 2006, just before their match lasted only 10 holes, and Ian Poulter is unlikely to relish a clash with you-know-who.

According to Dougherty, Poulter’s claim that only he has the potential to rival Woods has not gone down too well in the locker room. “All the good players, especially the younger ones, believe that one day they can compete with Tiger. You need that kind of ambition and passion. But it doesn’t mean you should criticise the rest. It was a little bit disrespectful.

“Personally, I wouldn’t do that for fear of upsetting my fellow pros. A few guys I know have taken offence, maybe quite rightly so. There are some great, great golfers out here, and for him to bypass them and say that eventually it’s going to be him and Tiger . . . ”

It was Nick and Tiger at last year’s US Open, when they played together in the third round. Dougherty, who finished in a tie for seventh in his best performance to date in a major, saw at close quarters why no other golfer can compare with the game’s preeminent player.

“The shots that he can hit are in a different class to anyone I have ever played with – and I have played with all the great players. He’s a one-off, the best that’s ever played, by a long way. And the thing is: there’s a lot more to come.”