Derek Ingram and Tristan Mullally
Following a national and international search, Golf Canada has named its coaching staff for the 2012 National Team program.
Tristan Mullally of Ireland has been brought on as the new Women's Head Coach for Team Canada. Mullally joins Golf Canada after a successful stint with the Irish Ladies Golf Union.
As a member of the ILGU's High Performance coaching staff, he was the traveling coach to a number of successful international events including the 2011 European Ladies Championship where Ireland's players finished 1st, 2nd, 4th and 10th respectively.
Mullally, 32, is a former competitor on both the Irish and Swedish Tours. 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, with whom he has worked since 2003.
The native of Clane, Ireland has also 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 and Ireland, Mullally will also work towards his PGA of Canada certification. He will be relocating to Oakville, Ont. and working out of Golf Canada's head office.
With credentials as both a competitor and an international authority on coaching, Golf Canada's Chief Sport Development Officer Jeff Thompson believes that Mullally can have a tremendous impact on Canada's National Women's program.
"Our goal was to find a coach that has demonstrated success working with elite female players and who could build on the success the program has experienced over the past couple of years," said Thompson. "We feel very fortunate to have Tristan as part of the program, and committed to taking the program to the next level. In addition to his experience as a competitor, Tristan's extensive international coaching background with both amateur and professional golfers will be a great asset as we move the program forward."
Mullally replaces former Women's Head Coach Derek Ingram of Winnipeg, who was named Men's Head Coach for Team Canada in September.
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.
Former Women's Assistant Coach Robert Ratcliffe of Comox, B.C. 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 Canadian and British PGA, he has coached in England, Florida, Egypt, Alberta and British Columbia before joining Team Canada in 2007.
The 2009 recipient of the BCPGA 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).
Rounding out the coaching staff is Ann Carroll of Mississauga, Ont. who has been named Women's Assistant Coach for Team Canada. Carroll 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.
"We are thrilled with the coaching staff brought together to lead Canada's National Team Program," added Thompson. "Each of our men's and women's team coaches bring unique talents, competitive experiences and coaching credentials that we feel can help fuel Canadian success on the international golfing stage."
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.