11
Michael Brennan
9
Lauren Coughlin
THE PRO GAME
Lanto Griffin( 7) won the 2015 State Open of Virginia at Ballyhack Golf Club in what proved to be a last gasp for his foundering professional career. At 27, he was nearing a career crossroads, and the victory provided a modest paycheck and the belief that he could win golf tournaments. Later that year, he won in Uruguay on PGA Tour Latinoamerica, beginning his rise that culminated in earning a PGA Tour card. In October 2019, Griffin won Houston Open, becoming the first Virginian to win on Tour since Billy Hurley III( 8) in 2014. Griffin has since lost that distinction, which now belongs to Michael Brennan( 9). John Rollins( 10), a two-time VSGA Amateur winner in the 1990s, won three times on Tour in the 2000s.
On the women’ s side, Chesapeake-raised Lauren Coughlin( 11) took a winding road to finally earn permanent LPGA Tour status. A three-time VSGA winner, Coughlin struggled through some lean seasons on the Symetra / Epson tours before finally gaining her card for good prior to the 2021 season. A self-proclaimed late bloomer, Coughlin broke through in a massive way in 2024, winning two national opens( Canada, Scotland) and earning a spot on the U. S. Solheim Cup team. Once there, she didn’ t disappoint, going 3-0-1 on home turf at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club to help the U. S. to a two-point victory. Along with the Solheim Cup, RTJ hosted four Presidents Cups( 12), including an American victory in 2005.
Virginia also was home to a revolving door of professional golf tournaments in the first quarter of the century, with the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, PGA Tour Champions, LIV Golf, and Korn Ferry Tour all making stops in the state. In late 2025, the KFT announced its season-ending Tour Championship will be played from 2026-29 at The Federal Club in Glen Allen.
GOVERNANCE EVOLVES
In 2014, Sarah Robertson( 13) wrapped up her term as President of the VSGA’ s Women’ s Division, notable because she was the last woman to hold that title. In January 2015, the VSGA’ s Women’ s Division merged with the VSGA to form one governing body for golf in Virginia. Three members of the Women’ s Division Board of Directors joined the VSGA board, including Anne Gordon Greever( 14) who began a track that would lead to her being elected as the VSGA’ s first female president in 2022. Prior to that, Lee Coble( 15) made history as the VSGA’ s first Black president( 2013-14).
On the national stage, VSGA member Mark Newell( 16) became just the third Virginian to serve as USGA president, joining Bill Battle and Harry Easterly.
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10
The last VSGA Women’ s Division president before merging( Sarah Robertson)
John Rollins
14
15 16
Lee Coble
17
Anne Gordon Greever
Mark Newell
18
100th VSGA Women’ s Amateur champion( Sky Sload)
ANNIVERSARIES
The VSGA turned 100 in 2004, and its two signature championships also celebrated centennials in the first quarter of the century— the VSGA Amateur( 17) in 2013 and the VSGA Women’ s Amateur( 18) in 2025. Both events featured celebrations of past champions at beautiful facilities, with Brinson Paolini winning the 2013 Amateur at The Homestead’ s Cascades Course and Sky Sload winning the 2025 Women’ s Amateur at Keswick Club.
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Social media influencers( Teal Barber, Fat Perez, and Ben Kruper)
28 V IRGINIA G OLFER | J ANUARY / F EBRUARY 2026 vsga. org