7.10.09 Former Chas golf pro Bob Boyd

Update on former Charleston pro Bob Boyd

Posted 12:57 p.m., July 6, 2009

Skimming through the July 6 issue of GolfWorld Magazine, I came across an article by John Huggan on former Charleston resident and longtime Carolinas PGA pro Bob Boyd – “A North Carolinian in Europe, Boyd enjoys life’s second chance.” Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find a link on the magazine’s website, but to catch you up on Boyd I’ll include some of what I know and some of what’s in the article.
Boyd, 54 and a native of the Wilmington, N.C., area, was the head pro at the Country Club of Charleston, later spent a couple of years on the PGA Tour, worked at Melrose on Daufuskie Island before eventually returning to Wilmington. He's been one of the most successful players in the Carolinas PGA Section.
Boyd won the 2004 European Seniors Tour Qualifying School and went on the win the 2005 Castellon Costa Azahar Spanish Open. But at the end of the 2005 season, Boyd was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. He underwent chemo, lost 60 pounds and in June 2006 received a bone marrow transplant. That December, Boyd won a Carolinas Senior PGA title at Crowfield.
According to the magazine, Boyd played one European Seniors Tour event in 2007, and learned in May of that year that the cancer had returned. He received a new procedure called a Donor Lymphocyte Infusion in which cells were infused into his arm with those cells going out and killing the cancerous cells.He's doing well since the procedure.
Boyd finished 23rd on the 2008 Order of merit with $91,312 European to earn exempt status for 2009 and this year $49,614 European in six events, including a playoff loss to Ian Woosnam in the Irish Open.
The Golf World article concluded with the following quote after Boyd finished T-21 in the DeVere Collection PGA Seniors Championship, one of the biggest events on the European Seniors circuit: "Truly, I am lucky to be alive. I was close to death more than once, and feel humbled to be playing golf at all. I'm still competitive though. But I have changed; in spiritual, physical and emotional ways I am different I appreciate everything so much more. I certainly get over a bad shot or a bad round a whole lot easier. For me, every day is precious."

-- Tommy