The First Look: Sanderson Farms Championship

Fresh off his 10th Ryder Cup appearance, Sergio Garcia returns to defend his Sanderson Farms Championship title as the 2021-22 FedExCup season resumes in Mississippi.a. FIELD NOTES: Garcia is the lone Ryder Cup participant in the field. His win last year at the Country Club of Jackson was his first TOUR triumph since the 2017 Masters… Zach Johnson, who was a vice captain on Steve Stricker’s squad, will also tee it up… Matthew Wolff returns to action. This is his first event of the season… Reigning PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year Will Zalatoris will tee it up in Jackson after finishing T11 in the season-opening Fortinet Championship… Past FedExCup champions Brandt Snedeker and Bill Haas are in the field in Mississippi… Major winners in the field include Garcia, Keegan Bradley, Jimmy Walker, Gary Woodland, and Lucas Glover… Sponsor exemptions include past U.S. Amateur winner Andy Ogletree (who is returning from hip surgery and is a native Mississipian), former college star Davis Thompson, and another Mississippi native, LSU freshman Cohen Trolio, who lost to Ogletree in an all-Mississippi semifinal match in the 2019 U.S. Amateur. Trolio was a finalist in this year’s U.S. Junior Amateur, as well. FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 500 FedExCup points. COURSE: Country Club of Jackson, par 72, 7,461 yards. The Mississippi gem – utilizing the Dogwood and Azalea nines – will host the Sanderson Farms Championship for the eighth time. John Fought redesigned 18 of the 27 holes on the property in 2008, incorporating Donald Ross design elements like small, tricky greens. The club dates to 1914. STORYLINES: Six of the past eight winners of the Sanderson Farms Championship were first-time TOUR winners… There are eight past champions in the field looking for more Mississippi magic… Five Mississippians are in the field, including 2021 Korn Ferry Tour graduates Davis Riley, Hayden Buckley, and Chad Ramey… The average winning score from the last five seasons is 19 under. Going low will be a premium in Mississippi. 72-HOLE RECORD: 263, Dan Halldorson (1986 at Hattiesburg GC). CC of Jackson record: 267, Cameron Champ (2018) 18-HOLE RECORD: 18-HOLE RECORD: 61, Keith Clearwater (2nd round, 1996 at Annandale GC). CC of Jackson record: 62, Roberto Castro (1st round, 2015). LAST TIME: Sergio Garcia held off a hard-charging Peter Malnati to win for the 11th time on the PGA TOUR. Garcia finished at 19 under after a 5-under 67 in the final round, and won by one over Malnati, who shot 63 in the final round. Garcia was 2 under through his first three holes but made bogeys on Nos. 6 and 8. He added an eagle on the par-5 14th and dropped a birdie on the 72nd hole after sticking his approach shot to 2 feet. Malnati’s 63 was his career-best round at the time. He finished nearly two hours prior to Garcia and was waiting for a potential playoff until Garcia’s birdie on the 72nd hole. J.T. Poston, who started the final round in a three-way tie for the lead with Garcia and Cameron Davis, finished in third at 16 under. Davis shot an even-par 72 in the final round and was T6 alongside five others. Henrik Norlander and Keegan Bradley finished T4. HOW TO FOLLOW Television: Thursday-Sunday: 4 p.m.-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel), times subject to change. PGA TOUR LIVE: Thursday-Friday, 8 a.m.-7 p.m. (Featured Groups). Saturday-Sunday, 9:30 a.m.- 7 p.m. (Featured Groups), times subject to change. Radio: Thursday-Friday, 1 p.m.-7 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 2 p.m.-7 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio).

Click here to read the full article…