TED OH (오태근)

Ted Oh is a former teen prodigy who qualified for the US Open at 16-years-old and was a rival of Tiger Woods in the junior ranks.  Ted was born in Seoul, Korea, and his family immigrated to the U.S. when he was seven. He started playing golf at the age of 10, mainly because he liked to drive the golf cart for his father, Yeong, a onetime shortstop in a pro baseball league in Seoul. By the time he was 12, Ted was shooting in the 80s, and at 14 he broke 70 for the first time.  As a junior golfer growing up in southern California near Tiger Woods, Ted was one of the top ranked players, with the pair always competing for the No 1 and No 2 spots in the junior rankings.  Ted qualified for the PGA Tour’s Nissan Los Angeles Open by earning one of two spots against 120 golfers, when he was just 16. Later that year, Ted became the youngest player to qualify for the US Open in 50 years in 1993 at Baltusrol. It was his father Yeong who suggested to Ted that he attempt to qualify for the Open after seeing Oh defeat Tiger Woods in the Southern Section playoffs. Ted competed in 3 straight Nissan Opens (‘93-’95) as an amateur. Ted has won four national junior tournaments on the AJGA tour, and became the first player ever to win the Los Angeles City Junior Boys Championship in consecutive years.

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Ted ‘s talent continued to shine in college, receiving full scholarship ride to UNLV, and won in just his second tournament as a Rebel. His victory at the 1996 IGT/Rebel Classic is still the only win by a freshman in school history. Realizing his true desire was to compete against the best, Ted left UNLV after his sophomore year and turned pro. Oh made several attempts at the PGA Tour but felt short each time and spent the next few years mostly playing around the Nike Tour before heading overseas to make his living in Asia.  During his 20 years as a professional, Ted  played a global schedule earning full memberships on the Korean, Japan, and Asian Tours while making interim stops to compete in U.S .and Europe.  

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Ted went into coaching in 2016 after injury ended his playing career, and realized he had a knack for teaching. He has been credited for reviving the careers of several top golfers including Lydia Ko by putting her back into the winner’s circle as he single handedly helped her capture the 2018 Mediheal Championship after her 2-year drought from winning.  Ted has an innate talent and unmatched eye enabling him to observe a player’s swing in slow motion frames.  Coupled with the immense knowledge and experience he gained playing on global tours, Ted precisely understands the mindset of elite golfers and is able to communicate his knowledge in a way they can easily comprehend.  His second career as a full time golf instructor looks as solid as his pure genuine golf swing.