The Sanderson Farms Championship returns and Sam Burns, fresh off a Presidents Cup victory, is here to defend his title.
This event used to run alongside the PGA Championship so always played second fiddle, but since the major was moved to May, this event has really seen some stronger fields, as shown by the past two winners in Burns and Sergio Garcia before him.
The Country Club of Jackson is a picturesque golf course that rewards greens in regulation over driving distance. It is a place that gives up plenty of birdies and scores of around –20 should be expected.
These early-season events give a chance for some players to really breakthrough and Sahith Theegala – a 20/1 second favourite – is a strong candidate to get his first PGA Tour win. He has three top 15s in his past four starts and finished last season strongly. He led here 12 months ago before a poor final round saw him drop away but he is a much better player now. While he may not have got that maiden victory yet, he looks so close and it is only a matter of time.
One of the most brutal lip-outs 😡@SRTheegala couldn't believe it.#TOURVault pic.twitter.com/UCLnlbCJTg
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 27, 2022
Denny McCarthy is a player that will have lots of backing at 25/1. He has a really strong record here and in a field full of players lacking in experience at this level, a player with this level of experience, and relative success at the course, is very backable. He has played some solid golf over the past six months or so and can be backed for another strong finish this week.
Of the Korn Ferry Tour graduates, it is Taylor Montgomery that really caught the eye at the Fortinet. He has a phenomenal third place finish to back up his excellent form on the level below. He is a great athlete and already looks like a player that could follow in the footsteps of some of his other former KFT players. 28/1 may be a little short, but with a lot of unknowns here, and a relatively weak field, he may be worth the gamble.
Hole-outs, great escapes and clutch moments 💯
Counting down the all-time top shots from @Sanderson_Champ. pic.twitter.com/kFYWGENhl3
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 28, 2022
Another player from that level is Justin Suh. We backed him last time out and he disappointed but he still has a lot of appeal. His form has been excellent, including a win at the Tour Championship, and he does have one prior visit to this course, albeit a missed cut. He is a player that has all the tools to make it on the PGA Tour, and 60/1 is a big enough price to take a bit of a punt on.
Sam Burns defends his title here and is rightfully the favourite. 11/1 is almost half of that of the next in the market and it is easy to see why. In a field of this strength the four-time PGA Tour Champion really stands out. He has already defended one title at the Valspar earlier this year and has every chance of doing it again.
He does have a bit of a mixed record. His win and a third place bookended some poor finishes, but he is a level above most of the players in this field. He did not have the toughest of schedules last week at the Presidents Cup so should be fresh enough to carry the high of that victory into this week. It can be tough to back a player when they are as short as Burns is here, but his quality justifies his favouritism.
Low-key victory laps are sometimes the best way to celebrate 🙌
After winning the @PresidentsCup, @SamBurns66 is enjoying the calm before the action begins Thursday @Sanderson_Champ. pic.twitter.com/nECYdHfkyB
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 28, 2022
The place on the calendar that this event fills is always going to mean we see a lot of players skip it, but there are some decent names out there. It feels like it is time for Theegala to really make that leap and if he does, we could see a run like Sam Burns went on after winning this event a year ago.
