As the dust settles of Team US’s victory in last week’s Ryder Cup, the PGA Tour returns after a near three week hiatus for its second stop of the Fall Series.
The TOUR turns its attention to the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Mississippi for this week’s Sanderson Farms Championship.
This event, although under other names and held at various other courses, has been a part of the PGA TOUR since 1968.
This event has been played at the Country Club of Jackson since 2014 and Sanderson Farms, one of the United State’s leading food corporations based in Mississippi, took over sponsorship in 2013.
Since its introduction as the event’s title sponsor in 2013, the Sanderson Farmers Championship has raised more than $17 million for various local-based charities.
The Field
As the President’s Cup was played last week and the majority of the PGA Tour’s top European based players playing across the pond, this week’s field reflects that.
Nick Dunlap and Eric Cole headline this week’s field as the only two golfers to finish last season within the top 50 of the FedEx Cup Standings.
Defending champion Luke List will be back this year to defend his title along with 2022 winner, Mackenzie Hughes, who opens as the odds on favorite to win.
Procore Championship winner Patton Kizzire will also be teeing it up this week after claiming the first Fall Series title of the season.
Other notable names teeing it up this week include Keith Mitchell, Seamus Power, Maverick McNealy, Ben Griffin, Patrick Rodgers, J.J. Spaun and Patrick Fishburn.
Other former winners of this event playing this week include Cameron Champ (2018,) Ryan Armour (2017,) Cody Gribble (2016,) Peter Malnati (2015) and Bill Haas (2010.)
The Course
The Country Club of Jackson plays as a Par 72 at 7,461 yards.
It was opened in 1914 and consists of 27 holes comprising of three sets of nine holes. These nine hole sets are named Dogwood, Azala and Cypress. Dogwood and Azalea combine for the championship course. Dogwood serves as the opening nine.
The course was originally designed by Dick Wilson and was redesigned by John Fought in 2008/2009.
The remodeled layout can be best described as a parkland style routing with small and tricky Bermuda greens.
These greens vary in size from 5,000 to 8,500 square feet and are oftentimes situated with testing run-off areas.
Although this track appears long on paper, it plays much shorter than that suggests. Players are able to pull driver regularly here to cut off angles. This helps with allowing both long bombers and fairways alike to compete.
Through all of this, the majority of the approach shots we’ll see here at the Country Club of Jackson playing between 100 to 150 yards.
Par-five scoring will be crucial this week as three of the four par-fives play over 580 yards. Those golfers who can reach these greens in two will see a large advantage.
Seven of the par-fours this week measure under 450 yards, including the driveable 330-yard 15th which plays as the second easiest hole on the entire course.
Like we saw at Silverado a few weeks back, this course ranks in the bottom-ten of PGA TOUR tracks in terms of fairway width. However, the Bermuda rough this week is not penal and the greens are receptive to approaches from the rough.
Overall, this course offers little resistance in terms of defenses and in years past, has resulted in a birdiefest. It’ll boil down to strong ball striking, approach play and putting. Having plus distance off the tee is an advantage but not a must.
The average winning score of this event being played at the Country Club of Jackson is -19.
The Weather
As of the time of writing this, the weather looks clear for all four days. There is forecasted to be at most, a 20-percent chance of precipitation. Friday and Saturday are currently calling for a 20-percent chance of precipitation as Thursday and Sunday call for just a ten-percent chance. Temperatures will begin at 89-degrees on Thursday before finishing the week at 85-degrees on Sunday. Additionally, winds will be at the lowest on Thursday at just five miles-per-hour before reaching ten miles-per-hour on Saturday and finishing the week at eight miles-per-hour on Sunday. In all, not a bad four days for some golf.
Key Stats
Strokes Gained: Tee to Green (SG: TTG)
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee (SG: OTT) / Average Driving Distance
Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: APP)
Strokes Gained Putting on Bermuda (SG: PUTT Bermuda)
Ball Striking
Par 5 Average Scoring
Strokes Gained: Around the Green (SG: ATG)
Proximity to the Hole From 100-150 Yards
Birdie or Better Percentage
Bogey Avoidance
DFS Suggestions
$10,000+
Against my better judgment, I’m going back to Keith Mitchell ($10,400.) Mitchell is currently third on Tour in birdie or better percentage, fourth in all of SG: TTG, SG: OTT and ball striking, eighth in SG: APP, 13th in both average driving distance and par five average scoring, 19th in bogey avoidance, 29th in proximity to the hole from 100-150 yards, 106th in SG: ATG and 116th in SG: PUTT Bermuda. He last played at the Procore Championship where he placed 12th. He also placed T12th at the Wyndham Championship to end his 2024 campaign. He doesn’t have a great course history here however, which has kept him off my betting card despite matching up extremely well statistically. For a DFS play however, I like what he brings to the table.
$9,000-$9,900
My first play in this price range is Maverick McNealy ($9,800.) McNealy missed the cut to open the Fall Series at the Procore Championship. Prior to that however he placed T12th at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, T45th at the Wyndham Championship and T3rd at the 3M Open. McNealy is currently tenth on Tour in SG: ATG, 20th in SG: PUTT Bermuda, 22nd in birdie or better percentage, 25th in SG: OTT, 27th in bogey avoidance, 29th in SG: TTG, 38th in par five average scoring, 56th in average driving distance, 74th in ball striking, 123rd in SG: APP and 125th in proximity to the hole from 100-150 yards. He last played here in 2021 where he placed T17th. Also consider Ben Griffin ($9,500.) Griffin capped his 2024 PGA Tour season with a T50th at the FedEx St. Jude Championship but placed T7th a start prior at the Wyndham Championship. He also placed T5th at the John Deere Classic and solo second at the RBC Canadian Open. Griffin is currently 15th on Tour in bogey avoidance, 17th in SG: PUTT Bermuda, 28th in proximity to the hole from 100-150 yards, 30th in SG: ATG, 38th in both SG: APP and par five average scoring, 47th in birdie or better percentage, 63rd in SG: TTG, 116th in ball striking, 130th in average driving distance and 132nd in SG: OTT. The off the tee metrics aren’t ideal but he’s above average in tee-to-green so that helps ease that a bit. He also placed T2nd here last year and T24th in 2022. Griffin is also on my betting card at +3300.
$8,000-$8,900
Chan Kim ($8,900) is a guy I’m really interested in for DFS this week. Kim is currently eighth on Tour in birdie or better percentage, tenth in both ball striking and bogey avoidance, 11th in SG: TTG, 16th in proximity to the hole from 100-150 yards, 21st in both SG: APP and SG: ATG, 29th in par five average scoring, 42nd in SG: OTT, 94th in average driving distance and 151st in SG: PUTT Bermuda. He placed T26th at the Procore Championship and finished his 2024 campaign with a T12th at the Wyndham Championship. He also placed T29th at the Barracuda Championship, T10th at the ISCO Championship and T12th at the John Deere Classic. Also consider Jhonattan Vegas ($8,600.) Vegas is currently second on Tour in ball striking, eighth in both SG: OTT and par five average scoring, 12th in average driving distance, 16th in SG: TTG, 20th in both SG: APP and birdie or better percentage, 29th in bogey avoidance, 98th in proximity to the hole from 100-150 yards, 128th in SG: ATG and 141st in SG: PUTT Bermuda. Vegas placed T32nd at the Procore Championship to open his Fall Series. He finished his 2024 season with a T40th at the FedEx St. Jude Championship but prior to that, won the 3M Open, placed T20th at the John Deere Classic, T25th at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and T27th at the RBC Canadian Open.
$7,000-$7,900
Would it be an Out of the Rough series if I didn’t include Doug Ghim ($7,900?) Ghim placed T47th in his last outing at the Procore Championship. He also placed T41st at the Wyndham Championship, T24th at the 3M Open and T34th at the John Deere Classic. He is currently sixth on Tour in SG: APP, 12th in both ball striking and bogey avoidance, 13th in par five average scoring, 14th in SG: TTG, 17th in proximity to the hole from 100-150 yards, 29th in SG: OTT, 100th in birdie or better percentage, 109th in SG: ATG, 111th in SG: PUTT Bermuda and 132nd in average driving distance. Also consider Kevin Yu ($7,100.) Yu placed T17th here in 2023. He’s also not in the best of form heading into this week, missing the cut in three-of-his-last four outings but prior to that made the cut in five straight events, including a T4th at the Myrtle Beach Classic and T20th at the John Deere Classic. He is currently eighth on Tour in ball striking, 13th in SG: OTT, 22nd in par five average scoring, 23rd in average driving distance, 28th in SG: APP, 36th in SG: TTG, 48th in bogey avoidance, 94th in proximity to the hole from 100-150 yards, 107th in SG: PUTT Bermuda and 157th in SG: ATG.
$6,900-
My first play in this final price range is Carson Young ($6,700.) He has been out of form for some time now but it wasn’t that long ago where he placed T5th at the John Deere Classic and T14th at the RBC Canadian Open. Young is currently 14th on Tour in ball striking, 26th in SG: OTT, 35th in birdie or better percentage, 42nd in proximity to the hole from 100-150 yards, 44th in SG: PUTT Bermuda, 73rd in par five average scoring, 79th in SG: TTG, 81st in SG: APP, 114th in bogey avoidance, 119th in average driving distance and 154th in SG: ATG. In all, not a bad stat profile for someone in this price range in this quality of a field. Also consider Ryo Hisatsune ($6,800.) The last time we saw Hisatsune on the PGA Tour was at the Wyndham Championship where he placed T3rd. He’s since been over on the DP World Tour where he hasn’t been in great form. However, that T3rd at the Wyndham Championship is a stellar performance. He is currently 25th on Tour in SG: PUTT Bermuda, 44th in ball striking, 56th in bogey avoidance, 58th in SG: TTG, 59th in both proximity to the hole from 100-150 yards and SG: ATG, 60th in SG: APP, 85th in birdie or better percentage, 90th in SG: OTT, 119th in par five average scoring and 123rd in average driving distance. Hisatsune is also on my betting card at +15000.
Betting Card
Ben Griffin (+3300)
Patrick Fishburn (+3300)
Rico Hoey (+5500)
Henrik Norlander (+7000)
Ryo Hisatsune (+15000)
Patrick Fisburn (+3300)
Typically if I were to load the books and see a 33 next to Patrick Fisburn’s name, I would laugh and move on. However, if we look into his profile this week, we understand why. He last played at the Procore Championship of the PGA Tour’s Fall Series where he finished solo third. Prior to that he placed T6th at the 3M Open, third at the Barracuda Championship, 15th at the ISCO Championship and T25th at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Sure there are two missed cuts tossed in there, but that is some insane form. He is also third on Tour in ball striking, sixth in bogey avoidance, seventh in SG: OTT, eighth in par five average scoring, 33rd in average driving distance, 57th in SG: TTG, 87th in birdie or better percentage, 92nd in proximity to the hole from 100-150 yards, 117th in SG: APP, 136th in SG: ATG and 160th in SG: PUTT Bermuda. Despite his Bermuda putting numbers, he finished the PGA Tour season 57th overall in SG: PUTT as well.
Rico Hoey (+5500)
Hoey is currently seventh on Tour in ball striking, ninth in SG: OTT, 22nd in par five average scoring, 28th in SG: TTG, 34th in birdie or better percentage, 63rd in bogey avoidance, 66th in SG: APP, 81st in proximity to the hole from 100-150 yards, 113th in SG: PUTT Bermuda and 133rd in SG: ATG. Hoey has made the cut in seven consecutive events coming into this week. In that stretch he’s gone T37th at the Procore Championship, T22nd at the Wyndham Championship, T8th at the Barracuda Championship, T2nd at the ISCO Championship, T26th at the John Deere Classic and T6th at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Again, some insane form here.
Henrik Norlander (+7000)
Norlander loves this course and event. Over the past four events here, he placed T2nd in 2023 (fall,) T24th in 2023 (regular season,) T4th in 2022 and T4th in 2021. That run of success at any given golf course cannot be ignored. The Swede last played at the Procore Championship where he placed T61st but prior to that placed T12th at the 3M Open, T11th at the Barracuda Championship and T25th at the ISCO Championship. He is currently seventh on Tour in bogey avoidance, 15th in SG: APP, 27th in ball striking, 31st in par five average scoring, 42nd in SG: TTG, 78th in birdie or better percentage, 85th in SG: ATG, 96th in SG: PUTT Bermuda, 116th in proximity to the hole from 100-150 yards and 142nd in average driving distance.