First Class A MAPGA Golf Professional to Win the State Open of Virginia Since Jon Corliss Captured the Title in 2003;
Assistant PGA Golf Professional at Westwood Country Club in Vienna, Va, Gross Qualified and Competed in the PGA Championship in May as part of the PGA of America’s Corebridge Financial Team of 20
Stafford, Va. – Fairfax, VA-resident Larkin Gross, the Assistant PGA Golf Professional at Westwood Country Club, has captured the 2025 State Open of Virginia. A member of the Middle Atlantic Section of the PGA of America (MAPGA), the leading authority on the game and business of golf in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia, Gross won the event with a 7-shot landslide victory, shooting a three-day total score of 194 which is a new record low since the event switched to 54 holes.
In capturing his first State Open title, which was held at Independence Golf Club, in Midlothian, VA, from July 18-20, Gross also became the first Class A MAPGA Golf Professional to win the State Open since Jon Corliss in 2003.
“It means a lot,” Gross said. “I just felt like this was one I wanted to get really badly, especially being a Virginia native. You take any state open win, but this one means more than the other 49 states. It’s awesome. It hasn’t sunk in yet, but it will. With my dad (Butch) on the bag, it’s special. It just is.”
An accomplished player and PGA of America Golf Professional, earlier this year Gross qualified for the PGA Championship at the Quail Hollow Club, in Charlotte, NC, where he played against the best golfers in the world, including 2025 Champion, and World #1, Scottie Scheffler. Gross, who earned $10,000 for his State Open of Virginia victory, has now played in three PGA Championships and was one of 20 PGA of America Golf Professionals to earn a spot on the Corebridge Financial Team competing in this year’s championship.
“Larkin is one of the most accomplished players within our Middle Atlantic PGA Section,” said Jon Guhl, Executive Director, Middle Atlantic PGA. “Winning the State Open of Virginia, on the heels of competing in his third PGA Championship back in May, is another milestone in his career and we’re proud that he represents us on both the local and national levels as a PGA of America Golf Professional.”
For more information on the Middle Atlantic PGA, visit www.mapga.com.
About the Middle Atlantic PGA Section
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 1,200 members and associates 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.