Around The Commonwealth
Larkin Gross joins Rick Schuller ( 2009 ) as the only Virginians to win PGA Professional Player of the Year honors .
• U . S . Women ’ s Mid-Amateur : Independence GC ( Aug . 23 )
• 2023 U . S . Amateur Four-Ball : CC of Petersburg ( Oct . 10 )
• 2023 U . S . Women ’ s Amateur Four-Ball : CC of Petersburg ( Oct . 11 ) year , that was my greatest area of improvement . I had and made a number of birdie putts and that ’ s how I elevated my game .”
Gross , now 24 , was a member of Methodist University ’ s Division III national championship squad in 2018 before becoming a PGA professional in 2020 .
VSGA SIMULATOR CHAMPIONSHIP In late January and early February , the VSGA became the first Allied Golf Association to host an association-level simulator golf championship , powered by Trackman . The event featured four divisions with players teeing it up at indoor facilities around Virginia , playing Primland Resort ’ s famed Highland Course .
Division winners were : Ryan Mextorf ( men ), Joey Burgess ( men 50-64 ), Gary Sutterfield ( men 65 +), and Amy Phelan ( women ).
CHRIS LANG
GROSS NABS AWARD Larkin Gross capped a spectacular 2021 season with the PGA of America ’ s biggest award as he was named national PGA Professional Player of the Year , the organization announced in January .
Gross , a PGA assistant professional at Springfield Golf & Country Club , had a memorable 2021 , winning three-single day events in Middle Atlantic PGA Section play in addition to victories in the section ’ s PGA Professional and Assistant PGA Professional Championship .
His biggest accomplishment , however , was a fourth-place finish at the PGA Professional Championship in April that earned him a berth in the PGA Championship at Kiawah . At 23 , Gross was the youngest player in the field , and his Tuesday afternoon round of 64 — featuring 11 birdies — matched the lowest third-round score in the history of the event .
“ To win this award is awesome ,” Gross told PGA . com . “ To be honest , I was more focused on winning the player of the year award for the Middle Atlantic Section . So it is great to accomplish both . My iron play was really good this year , especially my wedges from 100 yards and in . That gave me a chance . But my greatest strides came with the putter . I did not always feel like I was putting so well , but as I looked back on the
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