ISAACS BEATS BROWN IN PLAY-OFF TO SCORE FIRST WIN IN FIVE YEARS

By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com Nairn Dunbar's Malcolm Isaacs holed a 10ft birdie putt to beat Graeme Brown (Montrose Links) at the first hole of a sudden-death play-off to win the Deer Park Young Professionals 36-hole tournament at Deer Park Golf and Country Club, Livingston today. And then Isaacs said with a sigh of relief: "This if the first time I've won any competition for five years!" "Malcolm's been shaping up well. I remember he was in with a chance until the closing holes of the Paul Lawrie Invitational at Deeside last autumn," said PGA of Scotland supremo Michael MacDougall. All credit to Isaacs for closing the gap on overnight leader Brown with a two-under-par 70 to post the clubhouse target of two-under aggregate of 142; The Nairn-based man covered his last 11 holes in three under par with birdies at the long eighth, 13th and 15. In contrast Brown let the £475 first prize slip out of his grasp with an inward half of three-over-par 39 for a 74 to slide into a play-off with Isaacs.. The Montrose player, out in 35 with birdies at the long second and sixth, had his first bogey at the long eighth but was clear of the field coming down the home straight. Then Brown bogeyed the 11th and ran up a double bogey 7 at the long 12th. A birdie at the long 14th restored his one-stroke lead but Brown bogeyed the 18th when a par would have given him victory. Brown's runner-up prize was £375. It was a good tournament for North young pros. Andrew Rollo, from the Moray club at Lossiemouth, shot the lowest second round of 69 to tie with Neil Fenwick (Dunbar) for third place on 145. They each earned £300.