Getting the opportunity to play( on the golf team) and earn my PGA credentials was what really drew me to Methodist.”
When Larkin met Paige …
me to be a part of his player development class, and I was hooked immediately.”
Being a golf instructor and teacher has been Parker’ s dream job all along. He likes to say he teaches people, not golf, and his energy and positive attitude are ever present. His email address says it all: ceoofjrgolf @ gmail. com.
Parker, director of instruction at Salisbury Country Club in Midlothian, was honored by the VSGA in 2020 with the Grow the Game Award. Golf Digest recognized him as“ Best Young Teacher.”
“ Gavin is the King of Flo. He has been a leader in utilizing social media( taken TikTok by storm) to build his brand and make a name for himself as an instructor,” Guhl says.
The PGM program“ helped shape my philosophy and led me to junior golf. It was a huge part of my journey,” says Parker, who graduated in 2015 with a business administration degree.
BUILDING A BOND
All three feel a kinship with fellow PGM graduates and keep in touch with classmates and friends.
“ I talk to my cohorts constantly. My homies and I go deep,” Parker says.“ We suffered together. Going through the PGA program is a grind. It’ s not insanely difficult, but the deadlines pile up fast. That shared experience builds a bond.”
Fellow MAPGA section member Josh Speight, then Hobbs Hole Golf Course PGA professional Troy Thorne( who is now at The Golf Club at The Highlands) and friends Mason and Ben Stutler also had influence on Gross’ s decision to attend Methodist.
“ I count myself very lucky to have graduated( in 2019 with degrees in business administration and marketing) with an awesome cohort from Methodist,” Gross says.“ When you spend so much time with a close group, you form really great relationships.”
Three-time State Open of Virginia champion and Falling River Country Club head professional Faber Jamerson was the first person to ask Drinkard if she had heard of the [ PGM ] program, because he knew how interested she was in making golf a career.
“ Until then, I had never considered going to college to be a golf professional,” says
Drinkard, PGA teaching professional at Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville and holder of a bachelor’ s degree in business administration( 2022) and an MBA( 2024).
“ I stay connected with so many of my peers and mentors and coaches. A handful of my classmates are in the MAPGA section, and we try to play in as many events together as possible. We spent so much time together in the classroom, on the golf course and traveling to seminars and golf tournaments that there is undoubtedly a strong kinship with my fellow PGM graduates.”
As it has with Parker, the PGM experience has left an indelible imprint on Gross and Drinkard.
“ The people I met in the PGM program have made a huge impact on the person and golf professional that I have become. My golf coach, Tom Inczauskis made the biggest impact on me as a player, and he continues to push me towards my goals even today,” says Drinkard, who cites working at clubs up and down the East coast as other opportunities where she gained experience and knowledge of the golf business.
Says Gross,“ I can honestly say I would not be where I am without everything I learned at Methodist. The staff there had a huge influence on my development as a golf professional, and I credit Coach( Steve) Conley with a lot of the success I’ ve had playing since graduating. Methodist shaped who I am as a professional and a player.”
Getting the opportunity to play( on the golf team) and earn my PGA credentials was what really drew me to Methodist.”
— Larkin Gross
ICON SPORTSWIRE VIA AP
When Larkin met Paige …
Paige Church and Larkin Gross met early in her freshman year and his sophomore year at Methodist University.
“ My coach, Steve Conley, introduced us and played matchmaker a little bit. We started dating in November 2016 and have been together ever since!
“ We were both part of national championship winning teams at Methodist, which was a cool thing to experience. It’ s great having a two MAPGA pro household because we get to travel to tournaments together, caddie for each other and keep each other motivated. She’ s a big part of my success, just because she keeps pushing me like I do her.” – Larkin Gross
Paige is a PGA assistant professional at The Club at Creighton Farms in Aldie. Larkin is a PGA assistant professional at Westwood Country Club in Vienna.
The Middle Atlantic section is also home to the only known mother-son duo to attend and graduate from a collegiate PGA Management program— Jericho and Johnlen Trianna. They graduated from New Mexico State University and work as PGA assistants at Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg. To read more, visit mapga. com / jericho-johnlen.
Larkin Gross and Paige Gross at PGA Championship vsga. org M AY / J UNE 2025 | V IRGINIA G OLFER 21