midtngolfer

What about Korey Smith from Riverdale? He's gotta be on this list. Probably #2 or #3, maybe #1 if he sets his mind to it.

The area as a whole is going to be down this year. There will still be a few great players, but after this year, the Murfreesboro area, at least, is going to lack some talent. It'll be a couple of years before the talent pool deepens in Murfreesboro again. There's one "new" coach that may make a difference at a lower level, but that remains to be seen. There's a group of good young players coming up, but they are still a few years from high school. A coach like this will help these kids get ready for the high school level and beyond. Oakland High School will reap the benefits of his abilities as a player and as a coach. Any guesses?

If the list is three, there's only three names: Payne Denman, Korey Smith, and Brett Patterson. As for which is better, well, if they all went head-to-head, it would depend who putts better for that particular day. Neither is a better ball striker than the other. It's unfortunate Payne can't join Korey and Brett at the state tournament. That would would be something to see! If the list is longer, I believe it's a distant fourth whoever it is. These three young players have risen to the top in their respective divisions, and deserve to be there. Hard work, perserverence, and God given talent are present in all three. You'll have to find out when they'll match up at an AJGA this summer or something to see them go at it head-to-head. Might be worth checking into.