Chris Maclean’s purple patch on the Arnold Clark Tartan Tour continued as the in-form PGA pro claimed a play-off victory in the Deer Park Masters.
The Hayston player, who cantered to a seven-shot win in the Scottish Young Professionals’ Championship last month, pounced on Gavin Hay’s late wobble before plundering the spoils in the sudden-death shoot-out.
Maclean and Hay both finished on seven-under aggregates after 36-holes and it was Maclean who struck the telling blow with a birdie on the second extra hole.
An opening 67 had Maclean in prime position but he slithered off the top with a stuttering outward half on day two which included a double-bogey on the sixth
“I couldn’t get into groove at all, but I had a conference call with myself on the 11th tee and said, ‘stop this and start making some birdies big man’,” he said.
With Hay taking up the running and surging into a commanding lead, Maclean’s burst of birdies at 11, 12, 15 and 17 got him back in the mix and he signed off with a two-under 70.
Hay was still in charge but the East Renfrewshire pro stumbled to a brace of damaging bogeys on his final two holes in 69 which kept the door ajar for Maclean and led to a play-off.
Maclean made his move at the second extra-hole and trundled in a 15-footer for birdie before Hay missed his own birdie attempt from nine-feet.
“I was delighted to get over the line,” added Maclean, who swiftly swapped Deer Park for Dusseldorf to attend a friend’s wedding.
“I got lucky with Gavin dropping a couple of shots and managed to sneak in and get him in the play-off.”
After a slow start to the 2025 campaign, Maclean has upped the ante and the work he has been doing with PGA pros, Ian Rae and Charles Sandison-Woods, continues to bear fruit.
“I was playing terribly at the start of the year,” admitted Maclean, who had an outing on the second-tier HotelPlanner Tour in the Scottish Challenge last week.
“But I’ve been playing well for a while now and it’s nice to start putting a few trophies away. The work I’ve been doing with Ian on my swing and Charles with my putting is getting rewarded too.
“Playing in the Scottish Challenge was a good experience. I missed the cut but when you get a taste of a higher level, it makes you hungrier.
“There’s plenty to look forward to, with the PGA Fourball, the Scottish PGA Championship and q-school coming up so hopefully I can keep this form going.”
Maclean and Hay finished three shots ahead of a posse on four-under which included Paul O’Hara and the five-times Deer Park Masters champion, Craig Lee.
Click here for all the scores from Deer Park.
