Three years ago, in cold and draining rains, a Barassie Links player holed a 15-yard bunker shot on the first playoff hole at the Tartan Pro Tour. The strike from the sand dropped straight into the cup for a birdie and a win. It marked the first title of a record-setting season for Jack McDonald, an indication of something.

Following the victory, the then-29-year-old would say he wouldn’t be there, doing what he was, without ambitions in professional golf. “A great boost,” he called it. Whether it was so for ambitions as a player or something else, we wouldn’t know until today.

“I’m not doing Q School,” McDonald revealed in an exclusive with The Scotsman on Wednesday. “I’ve just started my PGA training as a trainee at Whitecraigs in Glasgow under David Orr. I’m not going to be playing tour golf anymore.”

McDonald burst into the golfing scene as a 16-year-old in 2009. After birdie threes at the 15th, 16th and 17th that led him to a pole position, a par four at the last would secure him his first title at the USA Scottish Boys’ Stroke-Play Championship.

He followed it up with quiet success, turning pro in 2016. Then in 2022, the grandson of Gordon Cosh — who played in the famous “Duel in the Sun” — McDonald became the first player to claim three titles in a single Farmfoods Tartan Pro Tour season, topping the Order of Merit. He was also runner-up at the Vierumäki Finnish Challenge in 2023. The icing on the cake, though, was the end to his playing stretch.

On the Old Course, McDonald opened with an eight-under 64, followed by a 67, extending his lead to eight shots heading into the final day. Despite a final-round 72 that included three birdies and three bogeys, his lead remained unchallenged, and he finished at 13 under par. Sandin and Craig Ross (T2) followed at six under. McDonald pocketed £5,000 ($6,711) for what he called an “excellent” performance.

The £30,000 Trump International Tour Championship triumph was among the last of his victories. The 32-year-old has revealed that he plans to play in select PGA Tour events and some Tartan Pro Tour “stuff potentially,” but was clear: no Challenge Tour and no DPWT.

McDonald finished his season strong. On the HotelPlanner Tour, he earned two top-10 finishes — including a tie for fifth at the Open de Portugal at Royal Obidos (won by Garrick Higgo). It marked his first top-five in a European Challenge Tour-affiliated event and a career-best 66th finish in the Road to Mallorca rankings.

Those experiences will serve him well in his new path. As he begins training under David Orr — who is ready to pass on his experience garnered over 20 years — his role will be multifaceted.

What will McDonald’s new role entail?

Transitioning to the PGA Club Professional pathway, McDonald’s duties at Whitecraigs Golf Club in Glasgow will include designing and delivering coaching programs for juniors and adults, running clinics, and overseeing equipment fitting services. He’ll also assist with club operations, events, and tournament management.

However, none of this will come easily. McDonald will undergo professional development through the PGA Trainee scheme, completing practical and theoretical assessments leading to full PGA membership. This training covers teaching techniques and business management, preparing him for future leadership roles such as head professional or director of golf.

Additionally, he’ll retain the opportunity to compete selectively in regional and national PGA Club Professional events, pro-am exhibitions, and the PGA Cup — aspects likely to keep his competitive spark alive.

After about 16 years as a player, the 2015 Walker Cup winner at Royal Lytham is ready for a new chapter. “It was just the right time to do something else as I’ve done this for quite a long time. I’ll still get to play golf. I want to work within golf as well, so that’s why I’ve decided to go down the PGA route… I am very content with it.”