Golf NSW has appointed Mr Khan Pullen as High-Performance Manager, Golf NSW.
Mr Pullen, the 2018 NSW and Australian PGA Coach of the Year, joins Golf NSW after a successful stint as the Manager – Player Development, Jack Newton Junior Golf(JNJG), where he was responsible for Junior Talent Identification and Development, as well as creating junior player Pathways across New South Wales.
A Sydney native, Mr Pullen began playing golf at 13 at New Brighton Golf Club. He completed a PGA traineeship in 1992 and competed on the Australian PGA and Asian Development Tour for several years.
Since turning his attention to coaching, Mr Pullen has held several positions at clubs across Sydney, including Leonay, The Lakes, Bankstown, Sutherland Shire Golf Academy and was the Head Coach of the Golf Program at the South West Sydney Academy of Sport.
Khan has also been the individual coach to a number of players, notably Golf Australia Rookie Professional Cameron Davis – winner of the 2017 Australian Open, who is currently competing on the US Tour, and also Grace Kim, winner of the 2018 Youth Olympics Gold Medal, Annika Invitational and currently ranked # 1 on the Golf Australia Women’s Order of Merit.
Mr Pullen said he believed his experience and the lessons he had learned in developing players like Davis would flow into his role mentoring the State's next crop of talented athletes.
"I believe what I've learnt developing a player like Cam through firstly the Canadian, then the Web.com and PGA Tours will be vital in educating the next level of hopefuls who are looking to becoming successful golfers in their own right."
Mr Graeme Phillipson, General Manager of Golf, Golf NSW was thrilled to announce Mr Pullen’s appointment to the role.
“Khan brings a wealth of experience to the role of High Performance Manager at Golf NSW. His comprehensive knowledge of player development, career pathways and what it takes to ensure our athletes can compete at the highest level is unsurpassed.”
Besides his 2018 Coach of the Year award, Mr Pullen was listed by Australian Golf Digest as one of the 50 Great Australian Coaches in 2017. He also holds a Diploma in Golf Management through the PGA International Golf Institute and is a PGA Certified Professional with Advanced Status in Coaching and Management.
Khan is a Professional Brand Ambassador for Srixon/Cleveland Golf and is also a member of the Australian PGA NSW/ACT Division Vocational Committee. He is married to Terese, and has two teenage boys, Darcy and Oliver.