Kevin Dougherty’s career came full circle when he competed in the Compliance Solutions Championship at The Patriot Golf Club, a venue not far from where he played college golf at Oklahoma State University. It somehow felt like the perfect place for the 35-year-old to call time on his career, doing so after making his 182nd start on the Korn Ferry Tour.

“I just hated the travel, the grind of pro golf, being away from my family,” he told Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine earlier this week. “I’m ready to be home.”

The decision came after the second round of the event, where Dougherty finished tied for 84th and was unable to advance to the weekend. He opened with a 1-under 69, making four birdies against three bogeys, before carding a 1-over 71 in the second round with four birdies, a double bogey and a bogey.

With his exit, Dougherty also brought his Korn Ferry Tour season to an end and will not compete in next week’s KFT Championship. However, the reality of his decision hadn’t started to sink in till he spotted his son, Beckett, on the course. At that moment, he realized he had just played the final hole of his professional golf career.

“My family made it easy,” he added, explaining what made the decision easy to make. “Being on the road 25, 30 weeks a year is pretty tough, and I kinda just got to a point where I wanted to be dad.”

Dougherty revealed that his children would count the days he spent on the road by counting how many nights they had to sleep without seeing their father. Eventually, he realized he wanted to be present for his two children more than he wanted to continue playing professional golf.

Now, as he walks away from the game, Dougherty already has a new chapter waiting for him. He has a VC position lined up and will also coach his son Trystyn’s soccer team. After years of life on the road, it appears Dougherty is finally heading toward the place he wanted to be most: home.

However, the decision was not one he made on the spot. Further into the conversation, the 35-year-old revealed that he had actually made up his mind about retirement back in January. In any case, his decision brings an end to a professional career that began in 2014. Dougherty came close to earning his PGA Tour card during his career, but ultimately secured it in 2024. 

Despite solid moments, Dougherty struggled to maintain consistency and never seriously contended for a PGA Tour card. Although he secured two top-10 finishes along with other respectable results like a T14, T15, and T23, he frequently missed cuts and had mid-to-back-of-the-pack finishes. Yet, being away from home and family has been a major driving factor behind how many top players as well.

But he is hardly the only one to retire

Dougherty’s retirement is also part of a wider trend with several established golfers reaching the end of their playing careers. After two decades competing at the highest level, Anna Nordqvist appeared in her final LPGA Tour appearance at this weekend’s FM Championship in Boston.

“I don’t know how to say goodbye to something that means so much to me,” she wrote in a letter shared on Instagram. 

However, the 39-year-old quickly began looking toward life beyond playing. 

“I’m not sure what the future has in store for me, but it’s with a grateful heart I have decided to retire from playing professional golf to focus on my health and my family.”

While Nordqvist left the LPGA Tour as a nine-time winner and three-time major champion, she remained involved in the sport as Europe’s Solheim Cup captain.

That said, it appears 2026 saw several great players hang up their gloves for good. But it also portrays how difficult it’s for a professional golfer to stay away from their families.