Sanderson Farms Championship Preview

The PGA Tour is in Mississppi for the fourth event of the 2017-18 season

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Whilst the world's best are teeing it up in China this week, the Sanderson Farms Championship also takes place in Mississipi

Sanderson Farms Championship Preview

Whilst it's the WGC-HSBC Champions in China this week where most of the world's best are teeing it up, the Sanderson Farms Championship takes place in Mississippi.

The Sanderson Farms Championship takes place at the Country Club of Jackson for the fourth season in a row.

The tournament began in 1968 as the Magnolia State Classic and has always been an alternate event.

Related: WGC-HSBC Champions preview

Between 1969 and 1993 it took place in the same week as the Masters. Craig Stadler, Luke Donald and Bill Haas are past winners.

2016 PGA Tour rookie Cody Gribble defends after he beat Greg Owen, Chris Kirk and Luke List by four strokes last year to win his first PGA Tour title.

sanderson farms championship preview

The Country Club of Jackson makes for a beautiful venue. (Photo by Marianna Massey/Getty Images)

It's not the strongest of fields this week, with the highest ranked player world #75 William McGirt.

Davis Love III makes his second start since being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Game. He came T10th in his last outing at the Wyndham and tees it up alongside his son Dru this week for the fifth time.

Cody Gribble is back to defend and Chesson Hadley has been made bookies favourite after a win and a second in the Web.com Tour Finals and a T3rd at the Safeway Open, however he missed the cut last year.

46 Web.com Tour graduates are in the field this week so picking a winner will be difficult.

Other notables competing are Luke Donald, Chris Kirk, Retief Goosen and Angel Cabrera.

Whilst the winner doesn't even receive an invite into the Masters, a cheque of over $700,000 is up for grabs so it could potentially be a life-changing week for someone.

Venue: CC of Jackson, Jackson, Mississippi Date: Oct 26-29 Course stats: par 72, 7,421 yards Purse: $4,200,000 Winner: $738,000 Defending Champion: Cody Gribble (-20)

TV Coverage: Thursday 26 – Sky Sports Golf from 7.30pm Friday 27 – Sky Sports Golf from 7.30pm Saturday 28 – Sky Sports Golf from 7.30pm and Main Event from 8.40pm Sunday 29 – Sky Sports Golf from 6.30pm

Key hole: 16th – A tough par-4 at 469 yards. A swamp lines the left side of the hole cuts in across the fairway some 80 yards short of the green. The safe play off the tee is to the right side of the fairway but that leaves a longer shot in. The second shot is just as hard as the drive – water waits left and a large bunker guards the green to the right. A par here is a very good score.

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Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV