Two longtime Pinehurst Resort employees have won awards from the Carolinas PGA Section.

Kelly Mitchum, a lead instructor at the resort’s Golf Academy, has won his fifth Carolinas PGA Section Bob Boyd Player of the Year Award; and Eric Alpenfels, the director of golf instruction, has been honored as the Palmer Maples Teacher of the Year.

The award to Mitchum came as no surprise as he enjoyed one of his finest years in section competition and received an impressive 500 points. He won the CPGA Championship and tied for second in the PGA Professional National Championship, earning a berth in the PGA Championship, where he missed the cut.

He had previously won the POY honor consecutively from 2004-2007.

Mitchum was the only CPGA professional to represent the section in the PGA Championship that was held on the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island. As the CPGA Championship winner and the player of the year, Mitchum will be exempt into both the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro and the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte next year.

As director of Pinehurst golf instruction, Alpenfels plays an active role in all aspects of the instruction programs that the resort offers. He has been influential in hosting numerous section and national teaching workshops and seminars at the resort.

He helped the PGA of America organize the inaugural PGA Junior Golf Summit that was hosted by Pinehurst Resort in 2011.

Alpenfels has been involved with conducting research included in all levels of the current PGA Professional Golf Management program that students all over the country use as they are studying to become the next generation of PGA professionals.

Alpenfels is a regular contributor of articles to Golf Magazine that highlight the research conducted at Pinehurst Golf Academy. Some of the topics he has researched include the influence that grip size has on a golfer’s performance, and the most effective view for amateur golfers to determine the break of a putt.

Alpenfels also won the Palmer Maples Award in 1995.

Charles Frost, an assistant professional at Quail Hollow Country Club in Charlotte, was named the Johnny Palmer Trophy winner. Frost posted the lowest stroke average of 68.44 in the CPGA’s four major tournaments.

Rick Lewallen of Kannapolis was named the CPGA Senior Player of the year. Lewallen accumulated 705 points while winning Senior Opens at Pine Needles/Mid Pines and Old North State. He also won the SPGA Senior Professional Championship held at Pine Island Country Club.

The Senior Associate Player of the Year is amateur Pat Thompson of Asheville, while the Super Senior Player of the Year is amateur Jim Pridgen of Jamestown.

The award winners will be honored at ceremonies at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center Feb. 17.

Putting Champs: Pinehurst Resort President Don Padgett II and Nancy Barnes are officially the putting champions of Moore County. Padgett used 37 strokes to win the men’s division, while Scott Lincicome was runner-up with 39.

Barnes posted 47, beating out Veronica Karaman by a stroke.

The competition was held Saturday and Sunday on the Thistle Dhu putting course at Pinehurst Resort.

Tin Whistles: Joe Mills and David Bowles teamed to win the Tin Whistles Club’s Baird Memorial, posting a net 57 on the Pinehurst No. 1 Course.

Frank Corcoran and Joe Koontz shot 59 to finish second, while Jim Peterson and Dave Kilpatrick were third with 60.