Current instructor for Phil Mickelson and former teacher of Tiger Woods, Butch Harmon, has been ranked as golf's top teacher for the fifth consecutive time. Harmon was named as the No. 1 teacher in Golf Digest's biennial ranking of America's 50 Greatest Teachers (2009-2010) by a direct ballot survey of his peers nationwide.
This list, which is featured in the August issue of Golf Digest, is included in the America's 50 Greatest Teachers package. This package also includes the Best Teachers in Your State, a state-by-state list of the top teachers around the country. The complete rankings of America's 50 Greatest Teachers and the Best Teachers in Your State can be found at www.golfdigest.com.
Harmon, whose list of students includes Mickelson, Ernie Els and Adam Scott, edged out Hank Haney, Woods' current instructor, by only seven votes, the closest margin since Golf Digest started the ranking in 2000. David Leadbetter, who topped the inaugural ranking, dropped to No. 3. Filling out the Top 10 are: Jim McLean (No. 4), Chuck Cook (No. 5), Stan Utley (No. 6), Jim Hardy (No. 7), Jim Flick (No. 8), Mike Bender (No. 9) and Martin Hall (No. 10).
Golf Digest sorted through 20,000 teaching professionals and another 1,000 LPGA and unaffiliated teachers to determine the country's best. As part of the nominating procedure, more than 500 teachers representing all 50 states completed ballots. The teachers were asked to nominate the top teachers in the nation as well as rate the instructors in their state.
The combined results of the national and local survey generated the list of America's 50 Greatest Teachers and the Best Teachers in Your State.
Four instructors are new to America's 50 Greatest Teachers ranking: Dave Phillips (T-35), Bob Ford (39), Mike Shannon (45) and Eric Alpenfels (T-48). The top five instructors in the ranking are exclusive Golf Digest Teaching Professionals, as are: Jim Flick (No. 8), Rick Smith (No. 11), Randy Smith (No. 13), Jack Lumpkin (T-20), Todd Anderson (T-20), Rob Akins (No. 28), Hank Johnson (No. 44), Tom Ness (No. 47) and Dean Reinmuth (T-48).