Emmett Cary Middlecoff (January 6, 1921 – September 1, 1998) was a dentist who gave up his practice to become a professional golfer on the PGA Tour in the 1940s. Middlecoff was born in Halls, Tennessee. He graduated from Christian Brothers High School. He played collegiate golf at the University of Mississippi (UM) where he was the school's first golf All-American in 1939. As a UM undergraduate and a dental student at the University of Tennessee, Middlecoff won the Tennessee State Amateur Championship for four straight years (1940–1943). After obtaining his DDS degree in 1944, he entered the United States Army Dental Corps during World War II. He won a PGA Tour tournament as an amateur in 1945, and then turned professional in 1947.