Golf Canada names National Team coaching staff
Golf Canada has named its coaching staff for the 2012 National Team program.
The program features three PGA of Canada members, including Derek Ingram, Robert Ratcliffe and Ann Carroll. Both Ingram and Ratcliffe move over to the men’s side of the program after leading the women’s team. Mississauga’s, Ont.’s, Carroll is the new women’s assistant coach. Tristan Mullally of Ireland has been brought on as the new women’s head coach after a successful stint with the Irish Ladies Golf Union.
“The coaches Golf Canada has selected to lead Team Canada are excellent choices,” says PGA of Canada President, Glenn Cundari. “On the men’s side, Derek and Robert bring great coaching skill sets and a wealth of knowledge. On the women’s team, Ann is a great addition to the program with all her previous playing and coaching experiences, while Tristian is a definite asset the program,” adding, “having him come aboard will only further grow our relationship with the PGA of Great Britain & Ireland and the PGAs of Europe”
Cundari reminds that it isn’t an unusual practice for national sport’s associations to hire international coaches because they bring a different set of experiences and skill sets to the table. For example, Peter Mattson of Sweden led the English Golf Union for six years as the Director of Coaching.
“There were many very strong candidates from Canada. It just happened to be that the skill sets deemed to be critical for this program at this time were best served through a candidate from outside the Canadian system,” Cundari says. ”It is our intention to utilize the experience and expertise that Tristan has to assist in helping to mentor and further develop our Canadian coaches,” further saying, “this is a good news story for all of us that Golf Canada was committed to finding the best coaches to elevate the performance of its national team athletes.”
Mullally, a native of Clane, Ireland has a served as a club professional at a number of world class resorts including The Slieve Russell, Moyvalley and Royal Portrush Golf Club. A member of the PGA of Great Britain & Ireland, Mullally will also work towards his PGA of Canada membership. He will be relocating to Oakville, Ont. and working out of Golf Canada’s head office.
As a member of the ILGU’s High Performance coaching staff, he was the traveling coach to a number of successful international events. He has also served as the personal coach, technical consultant or short game coach to a number of Irish touring professionals including World No. 13 Graeme McDowell.
Winnipeg’s Ingram, who was named men’s head coach for Team Canada in September, brings an impressive resume to the table.
A two-time recipient of the PGA of Canada’s Teacher of the Year Award (2003 & 2007), Ingram spent two years as Women’s Head Coach for Team Canada. Prior to being named women’s head coach at the end of 2009, Ingram served five years as men’s assistant coach for Team Canada. A seven-time winner of the Manitoba PGA Teacher of the Year Award, Ingram has been involved with the Golf Canada’s High Performance Program for the past 11 years.
Ingram has been selected as one of the top-10 coaches in Canada by the National Post, Golf Digest and Golf Magazine; and a Top-50 Teacher in North America by Golf Range Magazine. He also competed on the Canadian Tour for two years and was twice named Manitoba PGA Player of the Year Award (2003 & 2008). A recent inductee into the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame, Ingram has also co-authored two books on improving golf mental skills.
Ratcliffe, the former women’s assistant coach will support Ingram as the new men’s assistant coach. Originally from South Africa, Ratcliffe has played and coached golf all over the world. A member of both the PGA of Canada and the PGA of Great Britian & Ireland, he has coached in England, Florida, Egypt, Alberta and British Columbia before joining Team Canada in 2007.
The 2009 recipient of the PGA of British Columbia Teacher of the Year Award has previously coached at a provincial level with Alberta Golf (2004-2006) as well as at the intercollegiate level as men’s head coach with the University of Alberta (2003-2006). Ratcliffe also spent four years as touring professional (PGA MasterCard Tour) from 1997-2000. He has also worked as Director of Instruction with Crown Isle Resort in Courtney, B.C. (2007-2009) and RedTail Landing Golf Academy in Edmonton (2003-2006).
The newest addition to the Team Canada program, Carroll, of Mississauga, Ont. has been a member of the PGA of Canada for 20 years and has served as a provincial coach with the Golf Association of Ontario from 2007-2011.
A graduate of Florida State University, Carroll is a two-time Ontario Ladies Amateur champion (1984 & ’85), a past winner on both the LPGA Futures Tour and former du Maurier Series (now the CN Canadian Women’s Tour) and represented Canada at the 1984 World Amateur.
The 2012 Team Canada National Amateur Squad will include 11 athletes (six men and five women) with an additional nine athletes (four men and five women) rounding out Team Canada’s 2012 Development Squad.
The program features three PGA of Canada members, including Derek Ingram, Robert Ratcliffe and Ann Carroll. Both Ingram and Ratcliffe move over to the men’s side of the program after leading the women’s team. Mississauga’s, Ont.’s, Carroll is the new women’s assistant coach. Tristan Mullally of Ireland has been brought on as the new women’s head coach after a successful stint with the Irish Ladies Golf Union.
“The coaches Golf Canada has selected to lead Team Canada are excellent choices,” says PGA of Canada President, Glenn Cundari. “On the men’s side, Derek and Robert bring great coaching skill sets and a wealth of knowledge. On the women’s team, Ann is a great addition to the program with all her previous playing and coaching experiences, while Tristian is a definite asset the program,” adding, “having him come aboard will only further grow our relationship with the PGA of Great Britain & Ireland and the PGAs of Europe”
Cundari reminds that it isn’t an unusual practice for national sport’s associations to hire international coaches because they bring a different set of experiences and skill sets to the table. For example, Peter Mattson of Sweden led the English Golf Union for six years as the Director of Coaching.
“There were many very strong candidates from Canada. It just happened to be that the skill sets deemed to be critical for this program at this time were best served through a candidate from outside the Canadian system,” Cundari says. ”It is our intention to utilize the experience and expertise that Tristan has to assist in helping to mentor and further develop our Canadian coaches,” further saying, “this is a good news story for all of us that Golf Canada was committed to finding the best coaches to elevate the performance of its national team athletes.”
Mullally, a native of Clane, Ireland has a served as a club professional at a number of world class resorts including The Slieve Russell, Moyvalley and Royal Portrush Golf Club. A member of the PGA of Great Britain & Ireland, Mullally will also work towards his PGA of Canada membership. He will be relocating to Oakville, Ont. and working out of Golf Canada’s head office.
As a member of the ILGU’s High Performance coaching staff, he was the traveling coach to a number of successful international events. He has also served as the personal coach, technical consultant or short game coach to a number of Irish touring professionals including World No. 13 Graeme McDowell.
Winnipeg’s Ingram, who was named men’s head coach for Team Canada in September, brings an impressive resume to the table.
A two-time recipient of the PGA of Canada’s Teacher of the Year Award (2003 & 2007), Ingram spent two years as Women’s Head Coach for Team Canada. Prior to being named women’s head coach at the end of 2009, Ingram served five years as men’s assistant coach for Team Canada. A seven-time winner of the Manitoba PGA Teacher of the Year Award, Ingram has been involved with the Golf Canada’s High Performance Program for the past 11 years.
Ingram has been selected as one of the top-10 coaches in Canada by the National Post, Golf Digest and Golf Magazine; and a Top-50 Teacher in North America by Golf Range Magazine. He also competed on the Canadian Tour for two years and was twice named Manitoba PGA Player of the Year Award (2003 & 2008). A recent inductee into the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame, Ingram has also co-authored two books on improving golf mental skills.
Ratcliffe, the former women’s assistant coach will support Ingram as the new men’s assistant coach. Originally from South Africa, Ratcliffe has played and coached golf all over the world. A member of both the PGA of Canada and the PGA of Great Britian & Ireland, he has coached in England, Florida, Egypt, Alberta and British Columbia before joining Team Canada in 2007.
The 2009 recipient of the PGA of British Columbia Teacher of the Year Award has previously coached at a provincial level with Alberta Golf (2004-2006) as well as at the intercollegiate level as men’s head coach with the University of Alberta (2003-2006). Ratcliffe also spent four years as touring professional (PGA MasterCard Tour) from 1997-2000. He has also worked as Director of Instruction with Crown Isle Resort in Courtney, B.C. (2007-2009) and RedTail Landing Golf Academy in Edmonton (2003-2006).
The newest addition to the Team Canada program, Carroll, of Mississauga, Ont. has been a member of the PGA of Canada for 20 years and has served as a provincial coach with the Golf Association of Ontario from 2007-2011.
A graduate of Florida State University, Carroll is a two-time Ontario Ladies Amateur champion (1984 & ’85), a past winner on both the LPGA Futures Tour and former du Maurier Series (now the CN Canadian Women’s Tour) and represented Canada at the 1984 World Amateur.
The 2012 Team Canada National Amateur Squad will include 11 athletes (six men and five women) with an additional nine athletes (four men and five women) rounding out Team Canada’s 2012 Development Squad.