Respected mentor Ritchie Smith will set about changing the culture after being appointed Golf WA State men’s coach.

Smith has been WA women’s coach since 2003.

His predecessor, Craig Bishop, did not reapply for the role.

WA Golf Club head professional Vernon Sexton-Finck, who has guided WA’s boys and girls teams in recent years, will take over as State women’s coach.

Melville Glades professional Tony McSkimming has been appointed State boys coach and Mt Lawley’s Duncan Kegg takes on the girls’ coaching role.

Smith, who was named the PGA Teacher of the Year in 2014 after guiding Royal Fremantle stars Minjee Lee and Oliver Goss into professional careers, will be working with 15-20 of the State’s best amateurs in his new role.

The founder of the Perth Golf Academy and head professional at Melville Glades already coaches Jarryd Felton, Min Woo Lee and Ben Ferguson.

“I would like to start the process with some team-building stuff as soon as possible,” Smith said.

“I think that there will be some cultural change.

“They’ll be training a little bit differently to what they’ve done.

“We’ll be overhauling the whole training program and making it a lot more competitive and a lot more holistic.”

Under Smith’s watch and boasting players with the talent of Lee, the WA women were interstate series champions in 2011, 2012 and 2014, and runners-up in 2013.

Smith is hoping to emulate that success with the men at national level, with the next series to be held in Victoria in late April.

“I think if we set up the right program we can do it,” he said.

“We have just got to have buy-in from all the players and have got to have an equal effort across the board. I don’t believe in a team being based around one player.”

Source : https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/a/26273200/smith-to-change-golf-culture/