Tag: Country Club of Jackson

2023 Sanderson Farms Championship Sunday tee times, how to watch

Everything you need to know for the final round in Mississippi.

There are 18 holes left to determine the winner of the 2023 Sanderson Farms Championship at The Country Club of Jackson in Mississippi, and one man stands above the rest.

PGA Tour rookie Ben Griffin, who tied for 24th at last year’s Sanderson Farms, is alone atop the leaderboard at 20 under after firing a 6-under 66 on Saturday afternoon. He kept the bogeys off the card on Day 3 and is now in prime position to earn his first win on Tour.

Alone in second is Carl Yuan (5-under 67) at 17 under, while three players — Scott Stallings (7-under 65), Henrik Norlander (4-under 68) and Luke List (4-under 68) — are tied for third at 16 under.

From tee times to TV and streaming info, here’s everything you need to know for the final round of the 2023 Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson. All times listed are ET.

Sunday tee times

Tee time Players
8:10 a.m.
Ford Clegg, Jim Herman
8:20 a.m.
Jonas Blixt, Chris Stroud
8:30 a.m.
Ben Taylor, Trevor Cone
8:40 a.m.
Callum Tarren, Jimmy Walker
8:50 a.m.
Doc Redman, Austin Cook
9 a.m.
Garrick Higgo, Brandon Wu
9:10 a.m.
Stephan Jaeger, Adam Long
9:20 a.m.
Dylan Frittelli, Kramer Hickok
9:30 a.m.
Brandt Snedeker, Kyle Westmoreland
9:45 a.m.
Ben Martin, Andrew Landry
9:55 a.m.
Akshay Bhatia, Hank Lebioda
10:05 a.m.
Ted Potter Jr., Alex Noren
10:15 a.m.
Lee Hodges, Lucas Herbert
10:25 a.m.
William McGirt, Eric Cole
10:35 a.m.
Kevin Kisner, Chris Baker
10:45 a.m.
Ross Streelman, Cameron Percy
10:55 a.m.
Kevin Chappell, Robert Streb
11:10 a.m.
Michael Gligic, Nicholas Lindheim
11:20 a.m.
Sam Ryder, Scott Harrington
11:30 a.m.
Martin Laird, Matthew NeSmith
11:40 a.m.
David Lipsky, Cody Gribble
11:50 a.m.
Vince Whaley, Tyler Duncan
12 p.m.
Peter Kuest, Kelly Kraft
12:10 p.m.
Wesley Bryan, Beau Hossler
12:20 p.m.
Peter Malnati, Russell Knox
12:35 p.m.
Davis Thompson, Ryan Palmer
12:45 p.m.
Nick Hardy, Tommy Gainey
12:55 p.m.
Chesson Hadley, Harrison Endycott
1:05 p.m.
Lanto Griffin, C.T. Pan
1:15 p.m.
Alex Smalley, Brett White
1:25 p.m.
Harry Higgs, Richy Werenski
1:35 p.m.
Chad Ramey, Tom Hoge
1:45 p.m.
Erik van Rooyen, Troy Merritt
2 p.m.
Mark Hubbard, Joel Dahmen
2:10 p.m.
Ludvig Aberg, Christiaan Bezuidenhout
2:20 p.m.
Zecheng Dou, Adam Svensson
2:30 p.m.
Luke List, Cameron Champ
2:40 p.m.
Scott Stallings, Henrik Norlander
2:50 p.m.
Ben Griffin, Carl Yuan

How to watch, listen

ESPN+ is the exclusive home of PGA Tour Live. There is no PGA Tour Live coverage of the third and final rounds of the 2023 Sanderson Farms Championship.

Sunday, Oct. 8

Golf Channel/Peacock: 4-7 p.m.
Sirius XM: 2-7 p.m.

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2023 Sanderson Farms Championship Saturday tee times, how to watch

Everything you need to know for the third round in Mississippi.

The first 36 holes of the 2023 Sanderson Farms Championship at The Country Club of Jackson in Mississippi are in the books and one man holds the two-day lead.

Ben Griffin, after shooting a blistering 9-under 63 on Friday afternoon, is alone atop the leaderboard at 14 under. Four players are tied for second two shots back at 12 under, while four more players are tied for sixth at 11 under.

Eight notable players missed the cut, including defending champion Mackenzie Hughes. Fan-favorite Joel Dahmen is 8 under after 36 holes, and after his round Friday morning, his caddie picked up the mic and served as an on-course reporter.

From tee times to TV and streaming info, here’s everything you need to know for the third round of the 2023 Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson. All times listed are ET.

Saturday tee times

Tee time Players
8:10 a.m.
Scott Harrington, Chris Baker
8:20 a.m.
Kyle Westmoreland, Michael Gligic
8:30 a.m.
Dylan Frittelli, Callum Tarren
8:40 a.m.
Kelly Kraft, Richy Werenski
8:50 a.m.
Kramer Hickok, William McGirt
9 a.m.
Stephan Jaeger, Trevor Cone
9:10 a.m.
Eric Cole, Brandon Wu
9:20 a.m.
Lee Hodges, Jonas Blixt
9:30 a.m.
Lucas Herbert, Jim Herman
9:45 a.m.
Chris Stroud, Alex Smalley
9:55 a.m.
Brett White, Jimmy Walker
10:05 a.m.
Adam Long, Nicholas Lindheim
10:15 a.m.
Vince Whaley, Ted Potter Jr.
10:25 a.m.
Ben Taylor, Kevin Chappell
10:35 a.m.
Nick Hardy, Robert Streb
10:45 a.m.
Ross Streelman, Cameron Percy
10:55 a.m.
Tommy Gainey, Alex Noren
11:10 a.m.
Chad Ramey, Akshay Bhatia
11:20 a.m.
Hank Lebioda, Ben Martin
11:30 a.m.
Mark Hubbard, Ford Clegg
11:40 a.m.
Kevin Kisner, Lanto Griffin
11:50 a.m.
Davis Thompson, Tyler Duncan
12 p.m.
David Lipsky, Doc Redman
12:10 p.m.
Ryan Palmer, Austin Cook
12:20 p.m.
Peter Malnati, Cody Gribble
12:35 p.m.
C.T. Pan, Andrew Landry
12:45 p.m.
Garrick Higgo, Russell Knox
12:55 p.m.
Martin Laird, Cameron Champ
1:05 p.m.
Matt NeSmith, Tom Hoge
1:15 p.m.
Adam Svensson, Ludvig Aberg
1:25 p.m.
Joel Dahmen, Brandt Snedeker
1:35 p.m.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Sam Ryder
1:45 p.m.
Scott Stallings, Wesley Bryan
2 p.m.
Beau Hossler, Peter Kuest
2:10 p.m.
Harry Higgs, Erik van Rooyen
2:20 p.m.
Zecheng Dou, Troy Merritt
2:30 p.m.
Henrik Norlander, Chesson Hadley
2:40 p.m.
Luke List, Carl Yuan
2:50 p.m.
Ben Griffin, Harrison Endycott

How to watch, listen

ESPN+ is the exclusive home of PGA Tour Live. There is no PGA Tour Live coverage of the third and final rounds of the 2023 Sanderson Farms Championship.

Saturday, Oct. 7

Golf Channel/Peacock: 4-7 p.m.
Sirius XM: 2-7 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 8

Golf Channel/Peacock: 4-7 p.m.
Sirius XM: 2-7 p.m.

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2023 Sanderson Farms Championship Friday tee times, how to watch

Everything you need to know for the second round in Mississippi.

After a two-week hiatus for international team play the PGA Tour is back in action this week down south.

Mackenzie Hughes is back to defend his title at the 2023 Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson in Mississippi, where the field will compete for an $8.2 million purse.

The winner also earns a spot in the 2023 Masters.

Chesson Hadley leads by a shot at 8 under. Henrik Norlander is a shot back and tied for second along with Brandon Wu. The guy drawing some of the biggest crowds this week, European Ryder Cupper Ludvig Aberg, is tied for 11th after an opening-round 67.

The Sanderson Farms is the second of seven FedEx Cup Fall events, which will finalize eligibility for the 2024 PGA Tour season (more on that here).

ESPN+ is the exclusive home for PGA Tour Live, which will only be televising Thursday and Friday coverage of the U.S.-based events this fall.

From tee times to TV and streaming info, here’s everything you need to know for the second round of the 2023 Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson. All times listed are ET.

Friday tee times

1st tee

Time Players
8 a.m. C.T. Pan, Martin Trainer, Scott Brown
8:11 a.m. Charley Hoffman, Ben Martin, Jonathan Byrd
8:22 a.m. Brice Garnett, Harry Hall, MJ Daffue
8:33 a.m. Luke List, Lucas Herbert, Jim Herman
8:44 a.m. Brian Gay, Andrew Landry, Keith Mitchell
8:55 a.m. Jonas Blixt, Peter Malnati, Chesson Hadley
9:06 a.m. Sung Kang, Cody Gribble, Tommy Gainey
9:17 a.m. Ryan Palmer, Satoshi Kodaira, Austin Smotherman
9:28 a.m. Austin Cook, David Lipsky, Tyson Alexander
9:39 a.m. Sean O’Hair, Brandon Wu, Kevin Yu
9:50 a.m. Trevor Cone, Brandon Matthews, Peter Kuest
10:01 a.m. Carl Yuan, Trevor Werbylo, Zack Fischer
12:55 p.m. Doug Ghim, Kramer Hickok, Paul Haley II
1:06 p.m. Kelly Kraft, S.H. Kim, Davis Thompson
1:17 p.m. Hayden Buckley, Justin Lower, Zecheng Dou
1:28 p.m. Nick Hardy, Chez Reavie, Trey Mullinax
1:39 p.m. K.H. Lee, Tom Hoge, Kevin Kisner
1:50 p.m. Mackenzie Hughes, Cameron Champ, Scott Stallings
2:01 p.m. Patton Kizzire, Greyson Sigg, Andrew Novak
2:12 p.m. Wesley Bryan, Mark Hubbard, Christiaan Bezuidenhout
2:23 p.m. Kevin Chappell, Nick Watney, Ben Griffin
2:34 p.m. Scott Piercy, Ted Potter, Jr., Max McGreevy
2:45 p.m. Brent Grant, Kyle Westmoreland, Chase Parker
2:56 p.m. Nicholas Lindheim, Brett White, Ford Clegg

10th tee

Time Players
8 a.m. Jimmy Walker, S.Y. Noh, Hank Lebioda
8:11 a.m. Chris Stroud, Sam Ryder, Harrison Endycott
8:22 a.m. Ryan Armour, Alex Smalley, Dylan Wu
8:33 a.m. Erik van Rooyen, Joel Dahmen, Brandt Snedeker
8:44 a.m. Lee Hodges, Davis Riley, Chad Ramey
8:55 a.m. Akshay Bhatia, Adam Svensson, Ludvig Åberg
9:06 a.m. Alex Noren, Beau Hossler, Eric Cole
9:17 a.m. Jason Dufner, Camilo Villegas, D.J. Trahan
9:28 a.m. Ryan Moore, Doc Redman, Matthias Schwab
9:39 a.m. Ricky Barnes, Stephan Jaeger, Sam Stevens
9:50 a.m. Matti Schmid, Kevin Roy, Sam Bennett
10:01 a.m. Augusto Núñez, Ryan Gerard, Ross Steelman
12:55 p.m. Kevin Tway, William McGirt, Carson Young
1:06 p.m. Ben Crane, Zac Blair, Matt NeSmith
1:17 p.m. Nate Lashley, Cameron Percy, Henrik Norlander
1:28 p.m. Richy Werenski, Tyler Duncan, Troy Merritt
1:39 p.m. Robert Streb, Martin Laird, Lanto Griffin
1:50 p.m. Emiliano Grillo, Ryan Brehm, Garrick Higgo
2:01 p.m. Kevin Streelman, Harry Higgs, Robby Shelton
2:12 p.m. Greg Chalmers, Will Gordon, Ben Taylor
2:23 p.m. Dylan Frittelli, Brian Stuard, Vince Whaley
2:34 p.m. Adam Long, Russell Knox, Callum Tarren
2:45 p.m. Michael Gligic, Scott Harrington, Fred Biondi
2:56 p.m. Tano Goya, Greg Sonnier, Chris Baker

How to watch, listen

ESPN+ is the exclusive home of PGA Tour Live. There is no PGA Tour Live coverage of the third and final rounds of the 2023 Sanderson Farms Championship.

Friday, Oct. 6

Golf Channel/Peacock: 4-7 p.m.
ESPN+: 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sirius XM: 1-7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 7

Golf Channel/Peacock: 4-7 p.m.
Sirius XM: 2-7 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 8

Golf Channel/Peacock: 4-7 p.m.
Sirius XM: 2-7 p.m.

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Sanderson Farms Championship merchandise tent offers plenty of down-home Mississippi flavor

The merchandise tent offers up some interesting items, from blankets to shot glasses and hats galore.

The second leg of the FedEx Cup Fall schedule is underway in Jackson, Mississippi, and there’s plenty at stake at the Sanderson Farms Championship. The top 70 have secured their cards for the 2024 PGA Tour season, which is returning to a calendar-year schedule (January-August).

But since the top 125 after the RSM Classic, the last of the seven fall events, will retain their playing privileges for 2024, players are fighting for their jobs this week. Mackenzie Hughes is back to defend his title at The Country Club of Jackson in Mississippi, where the field will compete for an $8.2 million purse.

And as is typically the case on Tour, the merchandise tent at the Sanderson Farms offers up some unique and interesting items for those taking in the tournament, from blankets to shot glasses and hats galore.

Check out the merchandise for sale this week at the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Between Presidents Cup and defending his title at Sanderson Farms Championship, Sam Burns did find time for some Chick-fil-A

Coming off the Presidents Cup, Sam Burns’ schedule didn’t offer him much time to recharge.

JACKSON, Miss. — Sam Burns allowed himself some time to reminisce Wednesday morning as he journeyed to The Country Club of Jackson to map out his title defense at the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Reaching for memories of his previous five appearances in the event, some of the details have been lost to time for Burns — understandable amid the chaos that accompanies a successful golf career such as his. Burns now finds himself ranked 12th in the world, and he helped the United States take home the Presidents Cup last week during his debut in that event.

What remains vivid in Burns’ mind, though, is the role Sanderson event played in helping him launch his career. His start in 2017 tournament was his first as a professional on the PGA Tour.

“I remember being really, really nervous,” Burns, the former LSU star, said Tuesday. “Granted, I expected to be. I’m nervous every week I tee it up, but especially that week. I think having a lot of friends and family here was really special, and going out and trying to figure out where my game stacked up against guys on the PGA Tour, that’s what I remember most.”

Burns finished tied for 43rd that weekend in 2017, shooting 2 under.

Sanderson Farms: Tee times, TV | PGA Tour live on ESPN+ | Odds

His most recent trip to The Country Club of Jackson proved far more successful. Burns finished 22 under, setting a tournament record at this course to win the event.

“To be able to play really well here the last few years means a lot to me,” he said.

2022 Sanderson Farms Championship
Sam Burns walks with five-year-old Mary Mosley Pickering of Philadelphia, Mississippi, during the 2022 Sanderson Farms Championship pro-am at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Mississippi. (Photo: Barbara Gauntt/Clarion Ledger)

The characteristics of the course provide Burns with an additional wave of nostalgia. The turf at the course and the general style of the layout is similar to what the Louisiana native became accustomed to growing up, he said. That also means he knows what it takes to play well — knowledge he’ll look to apply when he tees off Thursday at 12:28 p.m. ET.

“For starters, you have to drive the ball well just because it’s really hard to predict out of the Bermuda rough,” Burns said. “The greens are obviously really fast, but I think if you get in the right spots on the greens, you can make a lot of putts. The greens roll so pure. I think it’s a combination of driving the ball well and giving yourself a lot of opportunities on the greens.”

Coming off the conclusion of the Presidents Cup on Sunday, Burns’ schedule didn’t offer him much time to recharge, but the proximity of the Sanderson Farms to his home in Choudrant, Louisiana, did.

Burns enjoyed a few hours out of the sight of the public, making grocery store runs for his wife and chowing down on a salad, nuggets and fries inside the local Chick-fil-A.

“I think out here sometimes it feels like you live two lives,” Burns said. “You’re out on the road playing and then you go home and see friends and people that you don’t get to see as much. I didn’t really get to see a lot of friends the last couple of days, but being able to go home and just relax, that was really nice.”

Contact David Eckert at deckert@gannett.com or on Twitter @davideckert98.

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Photos: See the merchandise at the PGA Tour’s Sanderson Farms Championship

Check out the shirts, hats, golf balls, ball markers, foam footballs and even spatulas for sale this week.

The PGA Tour hosts its second event on its 2022-23 schedule at The Country Club of Jackson for the Sanderson Farms Championship.

The Tour season started two weeks ago at the Fortinet Championship, then took a week off the Presidents Cup, where the U.S. won its ninth Cup in a row and 12th out of 14 times the events has been staged.

Sam Burns made his Presidents Cup debut and despite his 0-3-2 outing, he was still able to celebrate with his American teammates.

This week, he has returned to Jackson to defend his Sanderson Farms title, one of his three PGA Tour wins last season.

Sanderson Farms: Tee times, TV | PGA Tour live on ESPN+ | Odds

Check out the merchandise for sale this week at the Sanderson Farms Championship.

PGA Tour’s Sanderson Farms Championship still planned, despite water crisis

The Country Club of Jackson operates its own self-sufficient water system with water from a nearby aquifer.

JACKSON, Miss. — A Sanderson Farms Championship executive “absolutely” plans to hold the PGA Tour event as scheduled in Jackson.

Steve Jent, executive director of the Sanderson Farms Championship, said the Country Club of Jackson has been unaffected by the city’s water crisis since it operates its own self-sufficient water system with water from a nearby aquifer. The golf course is also in “great shape” despite overflow from a few creeks as torrential rains hit central Mississippi in late August.

While the country club has avoided the issues plaguing most of Jackson, Jent said he’s been keeping an eye on how hotels and restaurants on the city’s water supply are faring to ensure they’ll be able to handle the increased business from tourists. A tourism official says she thinks the hospitality industry will be ready.

The tournament, which runs Sept. 29-Oct. 2, could provide a shot in the arm to the local economy, as the tournament’s expected economic impact in 2021 was $15.7 million, according to Yolanda Clay-Moore, communications director for Visit Jackson.

Jent expects 30,000 fans will visit the course the week of the event, and he said there will likely be several thousand more who come to town but don’t visit the course. “Quite a few” stay just north of Jackson in Ridgeland and Madison County where tap water is safe to drink, Jent said, but many will are expected to stay and eat in Jackson-area hotels and restaurants, both of which are “experiencing a challenge,” Clay-Moore said.

Despite that challenge, Clay-Moore said the hotels are faring relatively well thanks to emergency systems the businesses had in place before the current crisis. The hotels on the city’s water supply are asked to follow the guidelines set by the Mississippi Department of Health which say guests can shower with tap water but should drink and brush their teeth with bottled water.

Restaurants in town have had to get innovative to handle the water crisis, and some have had to temporary close as water pressures dipped below usable levels.

With still no answer from city and state officials on when the crisis will be resolved, Clay-Moore and Jent are hopeful the government will get some things fixed by the tournament’s Sept. 29 start.

“We’re four weeks out,” Jent said. “That’s our advantage, right? So we still have a month before the tournament so the city can get some things fixed.”

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How much money each PGA Tour player earned at Sanderson Farms Championship

It pays to play well on the PGA Tour, folks. Just ask Sam Burns.

It pays to play well on the PGA Tour, folks. Just ask this week’s winner, Sam Burns.

The 25-year-old Louisiana native and former LSU Tiger made his professional debut on Tour at the 2017 Sanderson Farms Championship and came full-circle on Sunday, winning the 2021 event at Country Club of Jackson at 22-under following a 5-under 67 in the final round. The win is the second of Burns’ career on Tour following the Valspar Championship last May. The victory earns Burns a cool $1,260,000 million and those ever-so-valuable 500 FedEx Cup points.

Check out how much money each player earned this week at the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Sanderson Farms: Scores | Yardage book | Winner’s bag

Sanderson Farms Prize Money

Position Player Score Earnings
1 Sam Burns -22 $1,260,000
T2 Nick Watney -21 $623,000
T2 Cameron Young -21 $623,000
T4 Hayden Buckley -20 $280,000
T4 Andrew Landry -20 $280,000
T4 Trey Mullinax -20 $280,000
T4 Henrik Norlander -20 $280,000
T8 Si Woo Kim -19 $204,750
T8 Seth Reeves -19 $204,750
T8 Sahith Theegala -19 $204,750
T11 Cheng-Tsung Pan -18 $162,750
T11 Cameron Tringale -18 $162,750
T11 Harold Varner III -18 $162,750
T14 Tyler Duncan -17 $127,750
T14 Roger Sloan -17 $127,750
T14 Will Zalatoris -17 $127,750
T17 Corey Conners -16 $86,683
T17 Nate Lashley -16 $86,683
T17 Luke List -16 $86,683
T17 Denny McCarthy -16 $86,683
T17 William McGirt -16 $86,683
T17 Taylor Moore -16 $86,683
T17 Brendan Steele -16 $86,683
T17 Matthew Wolff -16 $86,683
T17 Grant Hirschman -16 $86,683
T26 Nick Hardy -15 $54,250
T26 Stephan Jaeger -15 $54,250
T26 Aaron Wise -15 $54,250
T29 Russell Knox -14 $49,000
T29 Adam Long -14 $49,000
T31 Sung-jae Im -13 $42,788
T31 Mito Pereira -13 $42,788
T31 Alex Smalley -13 $42,788
T31 Kevin Streelman -13 $42,788
T35 Mackenzie Hughes -12 $35,613
T35 Chris Kirk -12 $35,613
T35 Davis Thompson -12 $35,613
T35 Kyle Reifers -12 $35,613
T39 Paul Barjon -11 $28,350
T39 Dylan Frittelli -11 $28,350
T39 Emiliano Grillo -11 $28,350
T39 Charley Hoffman -11 $28,350
T39 Ryan Moore -11 $28,350
T39 Taylor Pendrith -11 $28,350
T45 Chesson Hadley -10 $20,846
T45 Adam Hadwin -10 $20,846
T45 Lee Hodges -10 $20,846
T45 Kurt Kitayama -10 $20,846
T45 Jimmy Walker -10 $20,846
T45 Eugenio Chacarra (a) -10 N/A
T51 Joel Dahmen -9 $17,234
T51 Peter Malnati -9 $17,234
T51 Andy Ogletree -9 $17,234
T51 Sam Ryder -9 $17,234
T51 Michael Thompson -9 $17,234
T56 Brice Garnett -8 $16,380
T56 Doc Redman -8 $16,380
T58 Joseph Bramlett -7 $15,890
T58 Doug Ghim -7 $15,890
T58 Lucas Glover -7 $15,890
T58 Brandon Hagy -7 $15,890
T58 Andrew Novak -7 $15,890
T63 John Huh -6 $15,400
T63 Chad Ramey -6 $15,400
T65 Sung-Hoon Kang -5 $15,120
T65 Vincent Whaley -5 $15,120
67 Austin Cook -4 $14,910
68 J.J. Spaun -1 $14,770

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Back-nine birdie streak leads Sam Burns to Sanderson Farms Championship win

Burns feels right at home at Country Club of Jackson, and it showed all week long.

JACKSON, Miss. — In a tournament known for its low scores the players put on quite a show Sunday at Country Club of Jackson.

Thirteen players were within two shots of the lead at one point during the final round of the 2021 Sanderson Farms Championship, and then Sam Burns made the turn. The 25-year-old birdied Nos. 11, 13, 14 and 15 to take a two-shot lead with three holes to play and was nails down the stretch en route to his second PGA Tour win following May’s Valspar Championship.

Burns, who only missed nine greens over his four rounds, was riding the good vibes all week in his first start of the new Tour season, finishing the week at 22-under following his final-round 5-under 67, one shot clear of Nick Watney and Cameron Young. The Louisiana native and former LSU Tiger feels right at home on Mississippi’s Bermuda grass, not to mention he made his professional debut on Tour in 2017 at the Sanderson Farms, where he finished T-43.

Sanderson Farms: Scores | Yardage book | Photos

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PGA Tour rookie Sahith Theegala leads Sanderson Farms Championship after low-scoring Saturday

22 players shot 5-under or better Saturday at the Sanderson Farms, including 54-hole leader Sahith Theegala.

JACKSON, Miss. — If you were watching the Sanderson Farms Championship on Saturday, you probably shot 67 from your couch.

A whopping 22 players shot 5-under or better during the third round at Country Club of Jackson, including 54-hole leader and PGA Tour rookie, Sahith Theegala. The Pepperdine product, after a “pretty wild” round, holds a one-shot lead at 18 under over Cameron Tringale, Denny McCarthy, Sam Burns and Cameron Young.

Theegala, the undisputed men’s college player of the year in 2020, is off to a strong start in the professional ranks following his made cut at the Fortinet Championship two weeks ago, the first event of the new Tour season.

“I started off playing really well, really solid, just missed a few makeable putts, but felt like my game was good,” Theegala said of his bogey-free round. “Then I started to hit some — I got a few to go in at the start of the back nine — and them I hit some wild drives, I mean way right, so was really happy to escape with a couple pars. It just felt like a grind those last five, six holes there. Obviously really happy with how I ground that out.”

Sanderson Farms: Scores | Yardage book | Photos

Theegala made five birdies and 13 pars in his round, and was as close to an eagle as you can get on the 303-yard par-4 15th. When his drive ran off the back of the green, leaving an 84-foot pitch to the hole, Theegala ran one right at the cup and suffered one of the more-brutal lipouts you’ll see.

“I can’t wait to see the replay of that to see what happened because it literally looked like more than a 360,” Theegala said of the shot. “I didn’t have the greatest vantage point, but it was literally going right at the stick, and I’m like, ‘Okay, that’s in, with good speed.’ But yeah, I can’t believe that lipout. That was like, people saw that lipout of Spieth at the Ryder Cup, that might have been worse.”

Still searching for his first win on Tour in his 311th start, Tringale shot the low round of the day, a bogey-free 10-under 62 to match his career best. Tringale went birdie-eagle-birdie-eagle on the par 5’s Saturday.

“I was just in control, in complete command of the ball and those are fun days, definitely didn’t feel that way starting out the week, but I feel like I’ve gained a little confidence each day,” Tringale said of his week in Mississippi. “I would say this was a combination of hitting a lot of good shots and having good breaks just on the same day.

“I love playing, obviously I’ve been out here a long time, I haven’t won, but I love competing and I just want to see if I can keep beating guys … I’m kind of a journeyman to this point and I’m enjoying the journey.”

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McCarthy and Burns each shot 7-under 65 while Young signed for a 5-under 67. Seth Reeves sits T-6 alongside Trey Mullinax at 16-under after a career low 9-under 63. Aaron Wise (67) and Roger Sloan (68) are T-8 at 15 under.

While 15 players are within four shots of the lead entering Sunday’s final round, according to the Tour, the Sanderson Farms Championship is the only event on Tour where each of the last four 54-hole leaders or co-leaders have converted for the win: Ryan Armour (2017), Cameron Champ (2018), Sebastián Muñoz (2019) and Sergio Garcia (2020).

“Definitely a little nerves in there for sure, but I think people have said before pressure’s a privilege and I’m trying to use those nerves to my advantage,” Theegala said of the pressure and nerves on the course. “I’m just having a good time with (caddie Carl Smith) out there and regardless of the golf that’s what it boils down to, golf’s a game and try and enjoy it as much as I can.”

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