Carolinas PGA Section professionals will be playing for a new award this season.

The Johnny Palmer Trophy will be given to the professional with the lowest stroke average in the four CPGA major championships, according to Tournament Chairman Billy Anderson.

To be eligible for the Palmer Award, golfers must play a minimum of nine rounds in the four CPGA majors that include the Carolinas Open, the North Carolina Open, the South Carolina Open and the CPGA Section Championship.

The award is named for Johnny Palmer, a lifetime member of the PGA and a Carolinas PGA Hall of Fame inductee who died in 2006. Born in 1918, Palmer performed well on the PGA Tour in the decade immediately following World War II and was a seven-time PGA Tour winner, including the Western Open in 1947, when the tournament was considered one of the biggest events in American golf. He was also a member of the winning 1949 Ryder Cup Team.

Palmer was nicknamed "Old Stone" by golf legend Sam Snead because of his calmness and lack of expression when playing.

"You didn't know by looking at him if he was 14 under par or 14 over," Snead was quoted as saying.

Palmer was a veteran of the U.S. Army Air Corps, serving as a gunner on a B29, and flew 32 missions over Japan.

"Johnny Palmer is a legend not only in the Carolinas Section, but throughout the PGA of America," Anderson said. "We could think of no better way to honor our past and celebrate the future of the Carolinas PGA Section than by naming our new lowest stroke average award after him. The Carolinas PGA owes a debt of gratitude to the Palmer family for granting us the permission to honor Johnny in this fashion."

In addition, the CPGA has renamed its player of the year award The Carolinas PGA Bob Boyd Player of the Year Award.

Bob "Big Pro" Boyd as he is known to friends and fellow PGA professionals, is the most prolific player in the history of the Carolinas PGA Section. Boyd was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia this past February and spent eight months undergoing chemotherapy treatments and a bone marrow transplant.

The same determination that has led Boyd to 16 career CPGA major tournament victories also helped him battle cancer and prove he is still competitive. He has been successful in both pursuits as the cancer is in remission and he has won two CPGA Senior events since last December. Boyd is currently competing on the European Seniors Tour.

"We are thrilled to announce the renaming of the CPGA Player of the Year Award," Anderson said. "Bob Boyd is the greatest player in the history of the Carolinas PGA Section, and his courage and faith in being able to win his fight against leukemia is an inspiration to us all."

The awards will be presented annually at the Carolinas PGA Awards and Honors banquet.