PGA Sanderson Farms Championship preview

Following a stop in scenic Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, the PGA Tour reconvenes in the U.S. for the Sanderson Farms Championship in Mississippi this weekend.

Once an alternate event on Tour, the Sanderson Farms Championship was upgraded in 2019 to a stand-alone tournament, with 500 FedEx Cup points and an invitation to the 2021 Masters on the line.

Many of golf’s biggest names will be absent from the field — like last weekend’s event at Corales — to prepare for the 2020 Masters, postponed to Nov. 12-15.

While the star power may be lacking, there is still much to look forward to, as one of the most promising golfers of the 2019-20 season makes his return to competition.   

Scottie Scheffler is the early favorite

Scottie Scheffler, the +900 favorite, finished out last season on a hot streak. He posted a fourth-place finish at the PGA Championship, followed by fourth in the Northern Trust, 20th at the BMW Championship, and fifth at the Tour Championship.

Many had their eye on him ahead of the U.S. Open at Winged Foot in late September, but a positive COVID-19 test forced Scheffler to withdraw from the major.

Now back on Tour, Scheffler’s recent form makes him an attractive pick at the par-72, 7,461-yard course at the Country Club of Jackson.

However, entering as the frontrunner at Sanderson doesn’t actually make you a favorite, based on the results of previous years. Last year’s champion, Sebastián Muñoz (+2800), won the tournament as a 60-1 longshot, while 2018 winner Cameron Champ boasted 65-1 odds. Ryan Armour came in at a whopping 100-1 in 2017.

That said, Scheffler is too good to pass on, and should he win at Sanderson, he’ll continue a different trend surrounding this tournament.

Dating back to 2014, each winner earned his first PGA Tour win at the event. Scheffler, the 2020 Rookie of the Year, won twice on the Korn Ferry Tour last season but has yet to capture a PGA Tour victory.

Scheffler should do well on the Jackson course because of his par 4 efficiency. At the end of last season, he ranked first on Tour from the 400-to-450-yard range, a key metric at Sanderson.

Scheffler is also one of the better ball-strikers on Tour, which will come in handy with the three par-5s over 550 yards, and a 612-yard par 5 on the fifth hole.

One area of concern for Scheffler is his putter. He ranked 117th in strokes gained putting at the end of last season and will confront a course comprised of Bermuda greens that plays fast (around 12 to 13 on the stimpmeter).

Adam Long is a worthy longshot

Adam Long (+2800) inspires a bit more confidence with his putter (56th in strokes gained putting in 2020). The 33-year-old from New Orleans is coming off a fifth-place finish in the Dominican Republic and landed 13th at the U.S. Open in early September.

He closed out the 2020 season ranked eighth in par 4 efficiency (400-450 range) and 41st in strokes gained: approach. He played Jackson last year and finished 23rd, but has built the momentum to see his name much higher on the leaderboard this weekend.

The winner of the Sanderson Farms Championship will receive $1.88 million of the $6.6 million purse.

You can watch the event Thursday through Sunday, 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. ET on the Golf Channel or on PGA Tour Live.

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Find the latest odds on the Sanderson Farms Championship at BetAmerica