September 12, 2007, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – The Carolinas PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame will enshrine two new members on February 17, 2008, as Robert M. (Bob) Boyd and Rod Myers will be honored for their accomplishments and contributions to the game of golf and to the Carolinas PGA (CPGA) Section. Only the 37th and 38th PGA professionals to receive the honor since the CPGA Hall of Fame was established in 1981, Boyd and Myers were selected by the Carolinas PGA Selection Committee after being nominated by their peers.
"It is a distinct honor to honor Bob Boyd and Rod Myers with a permanent home in the Carolinas PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame," said Rick Murphy, Carolina PGA President. "To have been an ordinary "good" PGA Professional is not enough to be voted into our Hall of Fame. We seek honorees that have demonstrated ability, interest, and service beyond the expected and both Boyd and Myers have shown these characteristics throughout their PGA Professional careers."
Hall of Fame inductee Bob Boyd will be remembered for his extraordinary success on the golf course since joining the Carolinas PGA section in 1978. The native of Wilmington, North Carolina, was named the CPGA Player of the Year in 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1998, 1999 and 2002, and recorded 22 CPGA Major Championships during his career. Boyd also captured four CPGA Section Championships, four Carolina Open Championships, five South Carolina Open Championships and 17 CPGA Team titles.
During his 27-year playing career, Boyd competed on the PGA Tour and the European Senior Tour, where he captured the Senior Open of Spain in 2005. Boyd also participated in 10 PGA Championships, five U.S. Open Championships and was a member of the1990 and 2000 PGA Cup Team.
To honor his competitive spirit, winning attitude and professionalism, the CPGA PGA Professional selected annually as the top player in the section will receive the "CPGA Bob Boyd Player of the Year" award starting in 2008.
The 52-year-old Boyd is a life member of the PGA of America and has worked with golf clubs in Pinehurst, Charleston, Isle of Palms, Florence, Hilton Head and Wilmington.
"When I first got the call from CPGA President Rick Murphy to tell me that I would be inducted into the Hall of Fame, the first thing that ran through my mind was what a tremendous honor to be recognized by my peers," said Boyd. "I’ve known and competed against many of the members of the Hall of Fame in the past. They are a great group of golfers, and to have my name included with them is very special to me."
Rod Myers achieved many personal and professional milestones during his life, but will be perhaps remembered best for his indelible contributions to help shape the future of thousands of young golfers. After graduating from Ohio Wesleyan in 1961,
Myers joined the coaching circle as the head coach at Ohio State University for seven seasons before taking over the Duke University men’s golf team in 1974. During his 34 years with the Blue Devils, Myers guided Duke to 30 tournament victories, one ACC Championship and seven NCAA Championship appearances. In 2005, he was selected as the ACC Coach of the Year and Golfweek’s National Coach of the Year after leading Duke to its first ACC Championship since 1966 and a school-record eighth place tie at the NCAA Championships.
While at the helm of the Duke men’s golf team, Myers coached 16 All-Americas, nine Academic All-Americas, 24 All-ACC selections and three ACC individual champions. In 2007, the golf training center was named after him and an endowed athletic scholarship was created in his honor.
During his 37 years as a member of the PGA of America, Myers was a Master PGA Professional, served on the staff of the Arnold Palmer Golf Academy, was a member of the PGA Rules Committee and officiated at every Masters Championship from 1995-2003. A PGA professional while at Ohio State, Myers was a former president and treasurer of the Golf Coaches Association of America and a former chairman of the NCAA Golf Committee and the USGA Rules Committee.
In 2007, Myers received the Labron Harris, Sr. award which is presented to the college or high school coach and PGA professional whose support of the game through teaching, coaching and involvement in the community has helped ensure the continued growth of the game and represent the finest qualities the game has to offer. Myers was inducted into Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame in May of 1986, and was also named to the Ohio Wesleyan Sports Hall of Fame and the Springfield (Ohio) High School Hall of Fame.
The Springfield, Ohio native passed away March 30, 2007, at the age of 67, after a battle with an acute form of leukemia. He is survived by his wife, Nancy, three daughters and five grandchildren.
The Carolinas PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame was established to enshrine PGA Professionals in recognition for their significant, enduring, accomplishments and contributions to the game and the Association, which are judged to be of historical significance. Any Carolinas PGA member in good standing, whether living or deceased, can be nominated by meeting the following criteria:
â?¢ Must be a PGA member for 20 years or more;
â?¢ Must be a Carolinas Section member for 10 years of more;
â?¢ Must be a leader and promoter of the game;
â?¢ Must have contributed to the PGA of America and the game of golf with enduring and historical significance
The nominations are reviewed by the selection committee that is comprised of three board members, the prior class of Hall of Fame inductees, two at-large appointments by the CPGA section president, two past CPGA presidents and media representatives from North and South Carolina. The candidates must appear on two-thirds of all ballots cast to be selected into the Hall of Fame.
Other Carolinas PGA Hall of Fame members include: 2002 – Bill Clemmer, Will Mann; 2001 – Hamp Auld and Gene Hamm; 2000 – D. Sherrill Austin and Norman Flynn; 1999 – Henry Poe and Bruce Sudderth; 1998- Jim Ferree and Don Padgett; 1997 – Joe Davis and Roger Watson; 1996 – Buck Adams and E. Harvie ward; 1995 – Gary Schaal and Luke Veasey; 1994 – Tommy Card , Joe Cheves and Palmer Maples; 1993 – Ed Bullock, Charles Farlow, Al Goodrich and Melvin Hamphill; 1992 – Aubrey Apple, Sr.; 1991 – Joe Ellis Maples; 1985 – Grant Bennett, J. Fairley Clark and Orville White; 1984 – Jimmy D’Angelo; 1983 – Purvis Ferree and Clayton Heafner; 1982 – Johnny Palmer and 1981 – Dugan Aycock, Henry Picard and Donald Ross.
About the Carolinas PGA
In May of 1923, a group of seventeen head and three assistant professionals joined hands at Greensboro Country Club and formed the Carolinas PGA Section of the Professional Golfers’ Association.
Since then the Carolinas Section has grown to be the largest of the PGAs forty-one sections with more than 2,000 professional members. The geographic territory embraces North and South Carolina as well as a small portion of southern Virginia, and currently has PGA members employed at more than 725 golf facilities in the Carolinas. The Carolinas PGA is dedicated to nurturing and improving the quality of the game for the thousands of golfers using the member facilities. PGA professionals are responsible for conducting a variety of golf-related functions which include golf shop merchandising, golf instruction, tournament operations, junior golf programs, golf club repair, administering the Rules, public relations and much more.
Because of this highly visible role at the facility, the PGA professional has the unique ability to impact virtually every facet of the clubs operation and the golfers playing at the facility. In short, the PGA professional is at the very pulse of the game. In its most highly visible role, the PGA and the 41 section offices across the country are responsible for conducting over 2,000 professional and amateur tournaments annually. In the Carolinas Section alone, more than 200 tournaments are conducted each year and pay out $900,000 in prize money.
Contact:
Ron Schmid, Carolinas PGA Section, (843) 399-2742
RSchmid@pgahq.com