N.C. State golfer Lauren Doughtie hasn’t strayed too far from the golf course this summer, as her summer job has her working at a course in Portsmouth, Va.

Doughtie has also been the participant and pacemaker in a few competitive tournaments during the summer.

She placed fourth in a tournament earlier in the summer after leading the first two days of competition, but as of late she’s found success in match-play tournaments.

“I’ve had a great time this summer,” Doughtie said. “I’ve been really busy but for the most part it’s been pretty successful, just without the wins.”

Doughtie almost had a win, but had to settle for a second place finish in the Virginia State Golf Association Women’s Amateur Championship.

The rising junior advanced all the way to the final match in the tournament. She battled back and forth with Harvard’s Sarah Harvey before some costly missed putts down the stretch put it in Harvey’s favor. Harvey won 3 and 2 over Doughtie.

“I worked really hard on my putting stroke maybe the last year and a half, and it’s finally coming together and I’m putting really well, but it’s just not to the point where it holds up as well under pressure as it does otherwise,” Doughtie said.

Just one week after that, Doughtie was in another match-play tournament, this time at the North & South Women’s Amateur Championship, a 64-person bracket-style tournament.

She was one of 16 remaining golfers in the field when she fell in the third round.

The tournament was played at the hallowed Pinehurst No. 2 course, a course that has hosted the men’s U.S. Open Championship, and is scheduled to host the tournament again in 2014.

“I love it in Pinehurst. I’ve been going down there for a while now,” Doughtie said. “I love the area and the atmosphere it gives for golf … it’s very nice to play in tournaments at these nice courses.”

Doughtie was able to play No. 2 five times during the week, as golfers were allowed to play their practice rounds on the course as well.

“It seems like the more and more I keep going back there, it seems to get a little easier,” Doughtie said. “You learn where you can hit it. I’m hitting the ball really well right now so my putting is not put under too much pressure.”

Playing in match-play tournaments requires a different approach to a typical stroke-play tournament. The object becomes to beat the person next to you, and not worry about as much about the course itself.

“It’s more of a mind game,” she said. “You can’t let the person next to you get in your head.”

As far as strategy, Doughtie said she has hit more drivers off the tees as part of a more aggressive style.

“I’m a little more aggressive when it’s match-play. Most of the time a bogey is going to lose the hole for you, especially when you get further into match-play,” Doughtie said.

“So it doesn’t matter if I make bogey or double or even triple, if you take the risk and you get a birdie, you win the hole.”

Doughtie said that by hitting more drivers and being more aggressive, she’s improved her accuracy with those clubs, something she hopes will improve upon what she did last year.

She returns next year as the leader in stroke average for both 18 and 54 holes, and was also tops on the team in top-10 and top-20 finishes.

“I had a pretty decent summer last year and came out and played well in the fall. This year I had an even better summer so hopefully that means the fall will be even better,” Doughtie said. “I feel like I’m in a good place with my game right now, and it’s steadily improving. I feel like it’s finally going to all click.”