Denman dominance earns first Tennessee Mid-Amateur Title

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Winning amateur golf events has become the norm for Payne Denman. The former Middle Tennessee State golfer is building a résumé worthy of Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame consideration, having won three consecutive State Amateur titles (2024-26) before capturing his first State Mid-Amateur. With the victory, Denman also became the first golfer since Tim Jackson in 2005 to win both the State Amateur and State Mid-Amateur in the same year.

Denman made his presence known early, opening the tournament with a strong first round that placed him in a four-way tie for the lead. Despite bogeying the opening hole, Denman responded with five birdies before closing his round with a bogey on No. 18. His performance left him tied atop the leaderboard with TGA President-elect Ryan Greer, Tyler Smith and Andrew Weathers.

Three of Denman’s five birdies came on the back nine, at the par-5 12th, 15th and 17th holes. Smith, Weathers and Greer also put together solid opening rounds, each finishing at 2-under-par. Weathers was the only player among the group to post a bogey-free round, highlighted by a birdie on the par-3 16th.

The second round brought more of the same for Denman, who carded another 3-under-par round to maintain his position atop the leaderboard. He opened with a bogey-free front nine before encountering an unusual stretch with back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 13 and 14. Denman responded by closing out his round with a birdie on the par-5 15th.

However, the day’s low-round honors belonged to Hillwood’s own Tom Lamthrop. Lamthrop caught fire with six birdies through his first 12 holes, climbing 24 spots on the leaderboard and putting himself in contention heading into the final round, four strokes behind Denman.

Ryan Terry of Nashville also recorded six birdies during the second round, finishing tied for fourth alongside Lamthrop and Winburne Hughes at 2-under-par for the tournament. Rounding out the top contenders was Adam Condello, who held sole possession of second place after rounds of 71-70. Condello’s second-round highlight came between Nos. 7-9, where he carded three consecutive birdies to strengthen his position heading into the final day. Play was suspended due to darkness with one group remaining on the course.

The stage was set for a dramatic finish the following morning, but Denman had other plans. Entering the final round with a lead of at least three strokes over the rest of the field, he wasted little time building momentum. Denman carded five birdies on the front nine, including a run of three consecutive birdies on Nos. 7-9. The highlight came on the par-4 eighth, where he drained an impressive 40-foot putt to cap the stretch and further solidify his advantage.

Denman carried an eight-stroke lead into the back nine, but Winburne Hughes made a strong push to close the gap. Hughes opened his back nine with an eagle, followed by a birdie on No. 11 and three consecutive birdies on Nos. 13-15. Despite the impressive charge, Hughes ultimately ran out of holes, recording a bogey on No. 18 to cap his round.

Meanwhile, Denman’s putter cooled off after a productive front nine, as he carded just two birdies on the inward nine. He still had a chance to break Hillwood Country Club’s competitive course record when he faced a 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole. However, the putt narrowly missed, and Denman tapped in for par to complete a bogey-free final round of 65.

In recent years, Denman has limited his TGA schedule to the State Amateur, competing in just one TGA event annually over the past three years while coaching collegiate golf at several universities. With a recent career change, Denman expects to have more opportunities to compete throughout the TGA calendar.

“Leaving college golf and sticking with my new career path has allowed me to play more golf than I have played in years, so I will be playing in more TGA events in the foreseeable future,” Denman said.

Hughes joined Denman as the only players to shoot even par or better in all three rounds, finishing runner-up at 7-under-par 209. The result marked the second time Hughes has finished behind Denman since the 2026 State Amateur. Lowery Thomas and Tucker Jenkins shared third place at 3-under-par 213, while Hillwood’s Ryan Eddie and Franklin’s Adam Condello rounded out the top five, tying for fifth at even-par 216.

For full results from the 2026 Tennessee Mid-Amateur, click here.