DeKalb County native Payne Denman, who serves as the assistant golf coach at Middle Tennessee State, won the 109th Tennessee Amateur at Tennessee National Golf Club in Loudon, TN. last week. Denman finished 18-under, with rounds of 70-68-64-68, winning by four shots.

According to www.amateurgolf.com Denman coasted to a win in capturing the 109th Tennessee State Amateur Championship last Friday at Tennessee National Golf Club.

Denham finished with a four-day total of 18-under 270, closing with a final round of 68 after leading by a single stroke entering the day. He completed his final 36 holes with no bogeys, tallying 12 birdies after posting a 64 in his third round.

The win was Denman’s fourth Tennessee Golf Association title, having claimed a pair of State Four-Ball trophies in 2014 and 2023 along with last year’s State Mid-Amateur Four-Ball championship.

“For me, I just tried to keep the pedal down,” Denman said. “I didn't look at the leaderboard at all. In my mind, I am playing the golf course, and I am trying to shoot as low as possible. I just wanted to stick to it and give myself as many birdie looks as possible and let the chips fall as they may.”

He entered the final round with a one-shot lead over Cameron Tankersley and was anything but comfortable.

"I tried to just stay focused and into each shot and not get too ahead of myself. It was a surreal feeling on No. 18, and I felt like I could finally breathe."

Denman will now head back to the U.S. Amateur, where he qualified last year.