Ted Fort was elected to membership in the PGA of America in June 1996. That same year, he was named the Georgia Section’s Assistant Professional of the Year. Most recently Ted was awarded the 2006 Georgia PGA Teacher of the Year.
Underlying his teaching philosophy is the bedrock foundation of Homer Kelley’s landmark work, The Golfing Machine. Says Ted, “I owe my understanding of The Golfing Machine to Lynn Blake, a personal pupil of Mr. Kelley who has studied the work for more than 25 years. I sought Lynn as a mentor, and he welcomed me as his student. Over time, we have formed a bond of mutual respect that has become extremely strong.”
Ted presently teaches Lori West, an 18-year veteran of the LPGA Tour. Her first victory came in 2002 on the Women's Senior Golf Tour shortly after they began working together. Lori followed that performance with a second victory in 2003 and five Top Ten finishes. Ted also teaches Brian Nash, the 2000 National Long Drive Champion. Brian, a Pinnacle Long Drive Team Member, recently established his ‘personal best’ with a launch of 445 yards.
On the lesson tee with students of all abilities or on the platform presenting to his peers, Ted Fort serves his fellow man each day. Teaching golf is his life, and his expertise and passion for that calling is evident to all.
EXEMPT STATUS: Major Medical Extension
FULL NAME: John Riegger
HEIGHT: 6-3
WEIGHT: 190
BIRTHDATE: June 13, 1963
BIRTHPLACE: Metropolis, IL
RESIDENCE: Las Vegas, NV
FAMILY: Wife, Jennie; Kalie 7/3/88, Tara 12/29/90, Jaxon 8/15/01
EDUCATION: Lamar University (1985, Education)
SPECIAL INTERESTS: Hunting, fishing
TURNED PROFESSIONAL: 1985, 2003
JOINED TOUR: 1987
International Victories
(2): 1997 Colombian Open. 1988 Milan Open.
Current Year PGA TOUR Money and Position
$40,363 (44)
Current Year Best PGA TOUR Finishes
T, 24--, Sony Open in Hawaii,
Current Year PGA TOUR Best Round
66 at Round 4, Sony Open in Hawaii
Best PGA TOUR Finishes
7--2004 Sony Open in Hawaii.
Best Nationwide Tour Finishes
2--1999 NIKE Mississippi Gulf Coast Open. 2--2000 BUY.COM Utah Classic.
Best 2005 PGA TOUR Finishes
T47--Sony Open in Hawaii
2005 Season PGA TOUR
Tournaments Entered--4; in money--2; Top 10 finishes--0
2005 Season Highlights
Limited to four events on a Major Medical Extension as comeback continues from shoulder and rib injuries originally suffered in 2003. Will play on a Major Medical Extension in 2006. Coupled with $446,591 earned in 21 events in 2004-05, has the opportunity to play in eight events to earn $176,671 and match the $623,262 winnings of 2004's No. 125, Tag Ridings. If he does so, will play out of the Major Medical Extension category for the remainder of the season.More
Career Highlights
2004: Played on a Major Medical Extension, with one top-10 in 17 starts, a solo seventh at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Withdrew after the first round of the Cialis Western Open and did not play the rest of the season. 2003: Suffered through season that included a torn rib cage muscle and a shoulder injury. Granted Major Medical Extension for 2004. 2002: Finished 143rd on the 2002 money list with a career-high $390,675 in earnings. Logged his first career top-10 with a T8 at 2002 Honda Classic. Led tournament by two strokes after opening with a 9-under 63. Carried a one-stroke lead into the weekend after a second-round 69. His T8 was worth $101,500, a career payday. 2001: Five top-25s led to 140th position on TOUR money list and partial status for 2002...Best finish was 14th at John Deere Classic. 2000: Eight top-10s on the Nationwide Tour and a 10th-place position on the money list earned PGA TOUR card for 2001. 1999: Full-time on Nationwide Tour with 22 starts, with a runner-up finish at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Classic. 1994: Best finish in 17 Nationwide Tour starts was T3 Dominion Open. 1992: After earning PGA TOUR card via Q-School, rookie's only top-25 was T21 at GTE Byron Nelson Golf Classic. 1991: Played 12 events on the Nationwide Tour with one top-10.More
Other Information
Grew up in Southern Illinois, across the Ohio River from PGA TOUR players Russ Cochran and Kenny Perry, who live in Kentucky...Five-time U.S.Open 9-ball champion Earl Strickland caddied for Riegger at the 2000 Nationwide Wichita Open...Says he plays golf because it gives him time to duck hunt.
My teaching is based on a geometrically-correct golf swing. The golf swing is circular in motion, with impact being a downward strike through the ball to the lowest point of the swing arc. This allows the player to maintain a straight left arm during the swing. Impact should be made with a descending blow. The hands should be well ahead of the club head prior to impact, and the left wrist must still be flat at a point past impact. The player must be able to swing in balance while maintaining the correct upper body tilt.
I strongly believe that Equipment Affects Motion®. Length and lie angle alone will dramatically affect a player’s posture and their ability to create the above-mentioned alignments. Club weight and shaft flex are extremely useful in creating the proper pivot and balance. I have had great success creating a balanced motion that is geometrically correct by utilizing the proper club components. A player using improperly-fitted clubs will be forced to make compensations in their swing. All players, regardless of ability, should have their equipment properly fit.
Brandon Ray is a golf professional at The Golf Club at Briar's Creek just outside of Charleston, SC on Johns Island.
Brandon is known as a passionate golf instructor and student of the golf swing.
He has studied the swing under some of the countries Top Instructors including:
Ted Fort, G.S.E.B., Instructor at Marietta Golf Center and Lynn Blake Golf.
David Orr, Director of Instruction for Campbell Univeristies Professional Golf Management Program, former Director of Instruction Pine Needles Resort.
Mike Perpich, G.S.E.M., Director of Instruction at RiverPines Golf Club and Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher.
Through these teachers and his own study Brandon has acquired a wealth of information on the swing. One of the main sources for this information is Homer Kelly’s book, The Golfing Machine.
Brandon uses The Golfing Machine along with other golf instruction information to teach his students a swing that will work best for their success in golf.
Ian Clark is the Director of Golf at the New Malden site for the World of Golf in Surrey, England. The company owns and operates 3 driving ranges in the United Kingdom, the largest such operation in England. Ian was awarded the Golf Stroke Engineering Bachelor (GSEB) certification from The Golfing Machine LLC in February 2006 and is currently one of only two Authorized Instructors in England.
Ian's study of The Golfing Machine began on one of his trips to the States when he vowed to study the country's best instructors 'up close and personal.' He kept hearing references to The Golfing Machine, and in his efforts to understand Mr. Kelley's masterpiece further, he has visited with such TGM notables as Joe Daniels, Chuck Evans, Chuck Cook, Martin Hall and Lynn Blake.
Ian recently visited Lynn in Atlanta and spent a couple of fog-lifting days in 'The Swamp.' As part of a select group of British PGA professionals., he also participated in Lynn's intensive Instructor Training Workshop in Bremen, Germany.
Bill Castner has been teaching and coaching golf professionally for over 30 years. Bill is recognized by the Professional Golf Association as an instrustor who earned specialty certification in golf instruction.
Bill began playing golf as a teenager and was fortunate enough to have been taught by many great teachers including Tom Strafaci, Carl Lohren and Mike Hebron. A chance meeting with Tom Tomasselli in 1978 began Bill's interest in the Golf Machine. Bill is currently studying with Lynn Blake and recently was fit for Henry Griffith's clubs by Jeff Hull.
In 1983, Bill earned his Class A membership into the Professionals Golfers Association (PGA). Bill has served as Head Professional at various courses in New York and New Jersey, including the Golf Club at Mansion Ridge, Colts Neck Golf Club, LaTourette Golf Course, Van Cortlandt Park Golf Course, and the Randalls Island Golf Practice Center.
He is also a member of the New Jersey PGA Junior Committee and a former instructor with the National PGA Junior Golf Academy. Bill has coached many talented junior golfers helping to bring their games to a level that will prepare them for collegiate golf.
Bill's personal teaching philosophy is to take the strengths of each person's swing and mold them into a repeating and natural motion. Bill believes that there is no such thing as "The Swing," however there is a "BEST" swing that will work for each individual. By developing the golf fundamentals, each student will find their best golf swing. This swing will produce a consistent ball flight. Bill's commitment to his students is to assist them in maximizing their enjoyment of the great game of golf!
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