PGA of America Golf Professionals’ Larkin Gross (Center Cross, Va.) OPEN Division and
ASSISTANT PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION Division; Ashley Grier (Hagerstown, Md.) WOMEN’S Division; and Rick Schuller (Chester, Va.) SENIOR Division; Capture 2024 POY Honors
Stafford, Va. – The Middle Atlantic Section of the PGA of America (MAPGA) has announced their 2024 Players of the Year (POY) Award Winners, including PGA of America Golf Professionals’ Larkin Gross (Center Cross, Va.) OPEN Division and ASSISTANT PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION (APA) Division; Ashley Grier (Hagerstown, Md.) WOMEN’S Division; and Rick Schuller (Chester, Va.) SENIOR Division.
“We are incredibly proud of the exceptional talent and dedication shown by our PGA Professionals in the Middle Atlantic Section,” said Jon Guhl, Executive Director, MAPGA. “The Players of the Year honors are a reflection of their hard work, skill, and passion for the game. These individuals not only elevate the standards of golf but also inspire their peers and communities. Their achievements are a testament to the strength and talent of the entire MAPGA family, and we look forward to seeing even greater successes from them in the future.”
OPEN DIVISION and ASSISTANT PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION DIVISION
Larkin Gross, a resident of Center Cross, Va., and the Assistant PGA Professional at Westwood Country Club, in Vienna, Va., is the 2024 MAPGA Open Division and Assistant Professional Association Division Player of the Year. Gross earned Top 4 finishes in 5 of 7 POY qualifying events, highlighted by being low MAPGA professional at the State Open of Virginia, a 3rd place finish at the Section Professional Championship, and finishing T-1 at MAPGA Stroke Play Championship #1. In the APA division, Gross had an extremely strong year including two victories – in the APA Assistant Championship and the APA Assistant Stroke Play @ Williamsburg GC – and three Top 3 finishes. Gross played four years on the Methodist University Golf Team which won the DIII National Championship in 2018. After earning a spot on the Corebridge Financial Team, finishing in the top 20 at the PGA Professional Championship, Gross teed it up in the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky where he competed against the best golfers in the world.
WOMEN’S DIVISION
Ashley Grier, a resident of Hagerstown, Md., and the Assistant PGA Professional at Yinglings Golf Center, in Hagerstown, is the 2024 MAPGA Women’s Player of the Year. Grier had a dominant season, finishing as low female professional in five events including the MAPGA Section Professional Championship, Rolex MAPGA Players Cup, MAPGA Stroke Play Championship #2, MAPGA Pro-Scratch and Northern Chapter Championship. The daughter of a PGA of America Professional, Grier’s Father David has played a meaningful role in her life for over 40 years. A Graduate of the University of Central Florida where she played on the Women’s Golf Team, Grier began her professional career competing on the Future’s Tour (now the Symetra Tour) for over five years. In 2014, Grier earned her PGA Membership, and began her career on the teaching side of the business, while continuing to compete at a very high level. In fact, she has enjoyed a successful playing career, competing in five major championships (four KPMG Women’s PGA Championships and one U.S. Women’s Open), while earning many awards, including 2021 Philadelphia PGA Assistant Player of the Year and 2020 Rolex Women’s PGA Professional Player of the Year honors. She’s also played for her country on two victorious U.S. Women’s PGA Cup teams. Grier earned a spot on the 2024 Corebridge Financial Team and competed in the Women’s PGA Championship at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Washington.
SENIOR DIVISION
Rick Schuller, a resident of Chester, Va., and the PGA Director of Instruction at Meadowbrook Country Club, in Richmond, Va., is the MAPGA 2024 Senior Division Player of the Year. Schuller earned Top 10 finishes across all 9 POY qualifying events, while capturing the Senior State Open of Virginia and Senior Match Play. In March, Schuller was inducted to the Middle Atlantic PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2024. Schuller has been 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 now 7;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.
In determining the POY division winners, the MAPGA tracks three Rolex POY races, and continually updates them throughout the season. Players may earn Rolex POY points by competing in specific tournaments that are considered Rolex POY events. These events include the Match Play Championship, Chapter Championships, Stroke Play Championship #1, Stroke Play Championship #2, Pro-Scratch, Section Championship, Silvercrest Cup, Players Cup, Senior Championship (Senior POY only), and Women’s Championship (Women’s POY only).
For more information on the Middle Atlantic PGA, visit www.mapga.com.
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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.
