Tennessee State Amateur: Denman is first person to three-peat in over 80 years

Winning three straight Tennessee State Amateur titles had not been accomplished in more than 80 years. Payne Denman made sure that changed on Friday.

The 34-year-old from Murfreesboro turned what was expected to be a dramatic final-round duel into a dominant march to history, closing with a 4-under 68 at Memphis Country Club to capture the 111th Tennessee State Amateur Championship by nine shots. Finishing at 9-under-par, Denman became the first player since Hall of Famer Cary Middlecoff (1940-43) to win three consecutive Tennessee State Amateur titles. He also joins another Tennessee Golf Hall of Famer, Polly Boyd, who won three straight championships from 1920-22.