Tennessee State Amateur: Denman is first person to three-peat

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.