Renowned PGA Professional Ian Triggs has forged a career guiding elite players to solid techniques and important titles.

Counting legendary Australian female champion Karrie Webb among an impressive list of past and present students, Triggs is no stranger to the buzz of a big event or the pressure that comes with coaching a Tour Pro."I learned so much from Karrie. She demanded 100 per cent from herself and she trained with the same intensity.

Not one ball in practice was wasted and as her coach I had to be totally switched on, watching every shot with intensity. She was the best and it was special to be involved in her career," says Triggs. The 2008 Australian PGA Teacher of the Year will be at RACV Royal Pines this week with star students John Senden and Michael Wright as they challenge for one of the Australian golf calendar’s most prestigious trophies.

"I think both players are a very solid chance. I hope we are well prepared and fresh heading into the week. We will certainly be doing our best to be that way," he says. As an advocate for tailored coaching strategies, Triggs calls on his wealth of experience at the top level to get the most out of each individual. "John and Michael are very different people, very different in their physical, mental and personality makeup, and I work on very different things in getting both of them to perform at their best," he says.

"This is the case at all levels of coaching; knowing the entire athlete can only help the coach in trying to make an informed decision to help their student. I’m fortunate to be able to work with people of all talent levels. While I enjoy seeing great tournament results, just seeing the student get enjoyment from the game and feeling as though I’ve been a part of it is also very special." Currently based at Brookwater Golf and Country Club, where he is the Teaching Professional, Triggs acknowledges the delicate balance between his club and Professional tour coaching commitments.

"I have time recovering from long stints overseas, therefore my students at home are used to us getting together when I’m back. They have a more intense training schedule for a few weeks and then work on their own game over a month while I’m away," explains Triggs, who completed his Traineeship at Brisbane’s Pacific Golf Club in 1975 and recently started continuing education modules through the PGA’s ACE Program.

 "I believe it’s healthy for them as eventually they need to become self-reliant and be their own best coach. Technology has also helped in this regard as we’re able to stay in touch via video. "As a coach you are continually challenged to find where refinement is required. Where is the player at technically, emotionally and concentration-wise? Are the technical areas being affected by the mental state, slight physical changes through travel or any of the other issues that can impact the player’s pattern by a small but significant margin?"

SUPER SENDEN

John Senden has spent the majority of the past decade inside the Official World Golf Ranking Top 100, but remarkably the evergreen 44-year-old’s association with Ian Triggs stretches right back to his time as a junior golfer. Senden won the Australian Open in 2006, the same year Triggs’ other marquee player at the time, Karrie Webb, won the Australian
Women’s Open. No other golf coach in Australia has achieved such a feat before or since. These days Triggs spends up to eight weeks on tour and four weeks in preparation throughout the year with Senden. In 2014 Senden scored his second PGA TOUR victory at the Valspar Championship, along with a T8 finish at The Masters and athe Australian Open in 2006, the same year Triggs’ other marquee player at the time, Karrie Webb, won the Australian Women’s Open.

No other golf coach in Australia has achieved such a feat before or since. These days Triggs spends up to eight weeks on tour and four weeks in preparation throughout the year with Senden. In 2014 Senden scored his second PGA TOUR victory at the Valspar Championship, along with a T8 finish at The Masters and a creditable T9 finish at the Australian PGA Championship.

THE WRIGHT APPROACH

Michael Wright is a determined yet famously down-to-earth character that has plied his trade as a Professional on the PGA Tour of Australasia and OneAsia since 2000. He achieved a career-high World Golf Ranking of 478 and qualified for The Open Championship in 2006, a feat he accomplished again in 2009.

Wright has coach Ian Triggs with him for up to two weeks a year at tournaments and 10 days a year in practice. Triggs first offered advice to Wright as far back as his amateur days, while the pair teamed up in a more official capacity five years ago. The Queenslander has enjoyed recent Top 10 finishes at the Isuzu Queensland Open (T8) and South Pacific Open Championship (T4). Wright finished T18 in the 2014 Australian PGA Championship – can he climb into the top-10 or better this time around?