The last thing a player would usually do after a remarkable season is take a sudden detour. But golf surprises every day, and so has this player. After emphatically clinching the £30,000 Trump International Tour Championship, 32-year-old Jack McDonald announced an unexpected twist in his career goals.

Speaking exclusively to The Scotsman, McDonald revealed he would be stepping away from full-time golf. While his peers — Sebastian Sandin, Sam Locke, and Michael Stewart — prepare for the Second Stage of the DP World Tour Qualifying School in Spain later this month, McDonald will be elsewhere. “I’m not doing Q School,” he said. “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.”

The decision may raise eyebrows, but for McDonald, it’s a deliberate choice. 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.

It’s a classy move after such a stellar showing 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.

“On all three days I played excellent golf, but I think the first two rounds in particular are the best I’ve played all year.”

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. “Yeah, I played really well,” he told The Scotsman.

Still, he’s ready for a new chapter. Though his new role keeps him close to the game he loves, his responsibilities will be different — and McDonald seems perfectly at ease with that.

“No, I wouldn’t say it was,” he replied when asked if the decision was tough. “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.”

“From a playing aspect, I just want to enjoy my golf. That’s the main thing for me. I feel like the last eight or nine years, it’s been difficult to think about playing golf as your job.”

Since turning pro in 2016, McDonald has been a consistent performer. 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 (2022), topping the Order of Merit. He was also runner-up at the Vierumäki Finnish Challenge in 2023.

This season, too, he delivered strong performances on the HotelPlanner Tour, earning 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.

“I played some really good stuff this year,” McDonald added.

Those experiences will serve him well in his new path. As he begins training under David Orr, 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.