HAY TARGETS TITLE DEFENCE AT EMTEC

DEER PARK MASTERS AFTER EARLY 2018 

STRUGGLES

NEWS RELEASE

Reigning champion Gavin Hay, pictured above, is targeting a return to form at the 2018 Emtec Group Deer Park Masters as he gets set to defend his title in the biggest Pro-Am on the Tartan Tour circuit.

The 26-year-old will battle it out as one of 50 PGA professionals in the event which provided his first Tartan Tour Order of Merit win last August. Since then, Hay has enjoyed a successful end to his 2017 season and made his European Tour debut in its flagship event at Wentworth in May. The latter, he says, was ‘a fantastic experience’ that had both its positives and its negatives.

“Having the opportunity to play in the PGA Championship at Wentworth was really good but I didn’t have a great week on the course and it dented my confidence a little going into the rest of the season,” said Hay, who is attached to Mearns Castle Golf Academy. “I’m quite a streaky player so it would have been great if the event had fallen at the end of last year but I’m looking forward to coming back to a place I’ve won before and hopefully that will kickstart things again.”

Hay defeated experienced Tartan Tour professionals Graham Fox and Robert Arnott on the first playoff hole last year and the Nairn man said the way he won the 2017 Emtec Group Deer Park Masters gave him real confidence moving forward. He’s hoping another positive performance similar to last year’s will give him a boost moving into the second half of the 2018 season.

“I’ve always really enjoyed playing in the Deer Park Masters and last year was great being able to beat guys with such experience in a pressure situation. Doing so with a birdie in the first playoff hole meant I felt like I had really won it rather than having it handed to me,” recalls the 26-year-old.

“With the summer we’ve had this year I think Deer Park will present a very different challenge this year compared to last year considering it rained both days. I’m really looking forward to it and it would be the perfect time for my fortunes to turn around again.”

The 15^th staging of the Emtec Group Deer Park Masters will take place on 31^st July and 1st August 2018 with 50 PGA professionals and over 300 amateurs taking part at the Livingston venue.

The event also marks the 15^th anniversary of title sponsor Emtec Group, a leading contractor within the construction and building services industry, with some very special prizes up for grabs for all amateurs participating over the two days.