Michaelian, a Resident of Virginia Beach who Passed Away in 2023, was a Past President of the MAPGA, while Schuller, a Resident of Chester, VA and a 5-time MAPGA Player of the Year, become the 59th and 60th Members of the MAPGA Hall of Fame
For photos courtesy of the MAPGA, click HERE.
Stafford, Va. – The Middle Atlantic Section of the PGA of America (MAPGA) has announced that PGA Professionals Paul Michaelian and Rick Schuller have been inducted into the MAPGA Hall of Fame as the Class of 2024. The honor recognizes their respective lifetime dedication to the game and business golf, while showcasing the ideals of sportsmanship, ethical behavior, and the mission of the MAPGA.
Michaelian, a resident of Virginia Beach, VA, who recently passed away at the age of 60, was a Past President of the MAPGA. Schuller, 60, and a resident of Chester, VA, is a 5-time MAPGA Player of the Year. The two PGA Professionals became the 59th and 60th members of the MAPGA Hall of Fame when they were officially inducted on Sunday, March 3rd, during the Association’s annual awards banquet at Lansdowne Resort & Spa, in Leesburg, Va.
“On behalf of the Middle Atlantic PGA Section, we are honored and proud to celebrate the induction of Paul Michaelian and Rick Schuller for the MAPGA Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024,” said Lynne Hunter, President, Middle Atlantic PGA. “As highly accomplished PGA Professionals who gave so much to the game, we have deep appreciation for their lifetime of dedication to the MAPGA.”
Michaelian, a respected golf leader who was elected MAPGA President in 2004-05, served in many roles on Section Committees. He also served the PGA of America as a delegate for many Annual Meetings and on the PGA Board of Control from 2011-2015. In that role, he was one of 4 PGA of America Members to study, learn and help adjudicate thousands of issues with specific PGA Professionals.
Michaelian began his professional career in golf at Williamsburg Country Club as an assistant professional. He relocated to Richmond in 1987 to be an assistant professional at The Country Club of Virginia. In 1989, he was elected to PGA of America membership and was promoted to Head PGA Professional at CCV’s Westhampton Course. In 1996, he was again promoted, this time to be the Head PGA Professional at CCV’s James River and Tuckahoe Creek Golf Courses.
In 2000, Michaelian moved on to become the Head PGA Professional at Meadowbrook Country Club in Richmond, and three years later was selected to be the Head PGA Professional at The Princess Anne Country Club in Virginia Beach, where he worked for 13 years. He eventually transitioned from a golf professional to a sales executive and joined MASA Corporation in 2017. A decorated MAPGA Member, he earned numerous awards and accolades, including MAPGA Professional of the Year in 2003, the Section’s highest annual honor for the consummate PGA Professional.
Schuller, who became a PGA of America Member in 1996, was one of the MAPGA’s premier players throughout his career, enjoying over 100 wins in Section events and qualifiers. He won the MAPGA Section Championship 4 times (’03, ’04, ’09, ’13), was MAPGA Player of the Year 5 times (’98, ’04, ’07, ’09, ’14) and Senior Player of the Year 6 times (’13, ’15, ’17, ’20, ’21, ’22). In 2009, he won both the National Match Play and the National Stroke Play on the way to winning PGA National Player of the Year honors. He also won the National Match Play in 2006 and 2011. He played in the National Club Professional Championship 15 times, and the PGA Championship 3 times (2001, 2003, 2016). He also played in 3 Senior PGA Championships, a US Amateur (1984) and two US Opens.
Schuller’s career started in northern Virginia as an assistant professional at several facilities, before moving to Richmond in 2001. He spent several years as the Head Professional at the Country Club of Petersburg and River’s Bend Golf and Country Club, before moving into his current teaching role as Director of Instruction at Meadowbrook Country Club, in Richmond.
Hunter adds, “Michaelian and Schuller join an acclaimed group of MAPGA Hall of Fame members whose commitment and contributions to the game of golf and fellow PGA Professionals is unapparelled.”
For more information on the Middle Atlantic PGA, visit www.mapga.com.
About Middle Atlantic PGA
The Middle Atlantic PGA Section (MAPGA), located in Stafford, Virginia, is one of 41 Sections of The Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA), headquartered in Frisco, Texas. The MAPGA has been a part of The PGA since 1925 and consists of over 1,100 members and apprentices in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia and small portions of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. There are over 900,000 golfers playing more than 16.5 million rounds of golf a season in the Middle Atlantic region. As player development remains a driving force in the golf industry, the MAPGA provides a wide variety of programs and assistance to support its members who teach the game, promote goodwill and share the game’s values to their golfing customers and their communities in general. Locally, MAPGA Professionals assist in raising over $6 million annually for charities.
