Bob Boyd, one of the most accomplished golfers in the history of the Carolinas PGA Section, recently lost his five-year battle with leukemia. He was 55.
Nicknamed “Big Pro” and playing out of Wilmington, Boyd won 26 individual and 20 team major Section championships, and was named Carolinas PGA Section Player of the Year a record seven times.
Known for accurate driving and exceptional iron play, Boyd was inducted into the Carolinas PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame in February 2008 and the Section‟s Player of the Year award was named in his honor.
Boyd played in 10 PGA Championships and five U.S. Opens. He made the cut in four PGA Championships and was the low PGA Club Professional on each occasion. He competed on the PGA Tour from 1983-84, with his best finish a share of sixth in the 1983 Houston Open.
“When a guy like Bob played well on the big stage we carried so much pride,” said Carolinas PGA Executive Director Ron Schmid. “It would be mentioned from time-to-time on TV that Bob Boyd was representing the Carolinas Section. I remember how well he played in Europe. One time he was coming down to the last few holes in an event with Ian Woosnam and we all said, „Wow, that‟s our guy.‟ And to think that here was Bob Boyd battling it out with a former Masters champion head-to-head. We‟ve got good players in our section, but things like that just don‟t‟ happen every day.”
Boyd extended his pro career by competing on the European Senior Tour, winning the 2005 Open de Espana Senior. He registered 15 top-10s and finished four seasons in the top 30 on the Order of Merit.
“You get guys who go through runs for two or three years or so, but nothing like Bob. He was just that good,” Schmid said.
Boyd competed in 20 PGA Professional National Championships, capturing the 1988 title in Pinehurst. He defeated fellow Carolinian
Rick Morton on the second playoff hole. Boyd went on to post five top-10s and 11 top-25 performances in the National Championship.
“I have to give Bob the respect that he deserved as one of the best players I have ever played with or seen!” said River Landing director of golf Larry George. “It was seldom that I was ahead of him on the leader board, but I knew if I was ahead of him I was at the top. I know he is setting up a game in Heaven.”
