Back in Black! RRHS golfer reflects on state championship

FARMINGTON— Rio Rancho High School’s Payton Black won the 2025 NMAA 5A Boys Individual Championship May 13 at the San Juan Country Club in Farmington.

“It was a lot of emotions. This is my fourth state championship that I have played in, and my last one. My dad is my coach, so to finally get it done after four tries is really, really incredible,” Black said. “It was the happiest that I think I’ve been on a golf course.”

Black’s first high school golf event was at San Juan Country Club, and now he walks off as a champion at the same location.

Black, the son of RRHS head coach Jason Black, finished with a score of 150 (74 in round one, and 76 in round two).

“It’s always awesome to have a player win state but when it’s your son it hits a little different. You see the work they put in when no one is watching and when it finally comes together it’s pretty cool,” Jason said. “Super proud of him on the course and in the classroom. I was in tears after his win. He has a great team behind him and I can’t thank his swing coach Tom Yost enough and Tim Madigan who has become a mentor to Payton.”

Black is the first Rio Rancho Ram to claim a state title since Tim Madigan, who golfed a 141 en route to a state title in 2007, and third Ram to reach the mountain top in school history.

“It’s all about perseverance, trusting your process,” Black said. “I didn’t really have a good spring leading up to the tournament. In these last two weeks, I got so much more relaxed, and I kind of just let it flow. “

Madigan would go on to play for New Mexico State University after his time at RRHS, and his head coach was also Jason Black.

So, what’s next for Payton Black? The reigning champion has committed to play golf at Montana State University Billings.

“He [Adam Buie] was very straight-forward on what he wanted, and wanted was to win,” Black said of the MSUB head coach Adam Buie. “His mindset and mentality coupled with the fact that the university itself is great academically and it’s just a very beautiful campus.”