Tag: Sanderson Farms Championship 2021

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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Learning from a difficult last year, a happier Matthew Wolff rockets up leaderboard at Sanderson Farms Championship

Wolff went low on Saturday and is beginning to look like world-beater fans thought he’d become.

This time last year Matthew Wolff was cruising.

The rising star on the PGA Tour had put together consecutive runner-up finishes at the U.S. Open and Shriners Hospitals for Children Open before a nagging right hand injury aided a poor run of form– five missed cuts, two WDs and a disqualification for signing an incorrect scorecard in 20 events with just four top-25 finishes – that plagued the rest of his 2020 super-season.

The 22-year-old looked more like the world-beater golf fans thought he’d be on Saturday at Country Club of Jackson, shooting a 7-under 65 from the morning wave to climb into contention at the 2021 Sanderson Farms Championship. In fact, Wolff is using the same set of TaylorMade P7MC irons he used at the U.S. Open and Shriners after he switched to the P750’s in the summer, according to the PGA Tour’s Sean Martin.

“I think that I’m just kind of putting everything in perspective a little bit,” said Wolff, who made a 36-footer on his final hole Friday to make the cut on the number at 5 under.

Sanderson Farms: Scores | Yardage book | Photos

“I’m getting a little older and a little more mature and unfortunately last year was really hard for me and I wasn’t in a happy spot but I think at the end of the day I’m going to learn from that and I already have learned from it and definitely know in the future I think it’s going to make me a better player,” explained Wolff, “because I guarantee you that’s not the last time I’m going to have a little hiccup in my career and having that so young I feel like I’ve already learned so much more than maybe some guys who have had an easier career and stuff, even though it’s not easy to have a good career throughout the entire time.”

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Expectations were high for the Oklahoma State product coming out of school, and rightfully so. Wolff turned pro after a sophomore year in Stillwater that featured a program-record six wins, including the individual national championship. He won on Tour just a month later, outdueling Bryson DeChambeau and fellow rookie Collin Morikawa at the 2019 3M Open with an eagle on the 72nd hole.

The California native who now resides in Jupiter, Florida, added that he’s working on the right things and that’s led his game to make a turn back to the positive side. His happier mental state certainly helps, too.

Wolff took advantage of little-to-no wind during most of his Saturday morning walk, and got into a rhythm alongside Luke List, who shot a 4-under 68. He birdied his opening hole and added two more on Nos. 4 and 6, with his lone bogey of the day sandwiched in-between on the par-5 5th.

Another birdie on the 9th put Wolff at 3-under 33 at the turn, and the train kept rolling with a two on the par-3 10th and a two-putt birdie from 28 feet on the par-5 11th. He added two more on Nos. 14 and 15 to put to bed his lowest score since his Saturday 61 at last year’s Shriners.

“I’m really happy with where I put myself and looking to have fun and just go out there and do my best tomorrow,” said Wolff.

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Defending champion Sergio Garcia highlights PGA Tour players who missed the cut at the Sanderson Farms Championship

Who’s going home early from the Sanderson Farms?

JACKSON, Miss. — With just one player ranked inside the top 25 of the Official World Golf Ranking in the field at the Sanderson Farms Championship this week, a group of hopeful rising stars on the PGA Tour have taken advantage of the opportunity to reach the leaderboard.

Last season’s Rookie of the Year Will Zalatoris took the early lead at 13 under after setting the course record (and tying the tournament mark) with a bogey-free 11-under 61 on Friday at Country Club of Jackson. Later in the evening he was joined atop the leaderboard by Nick Watney (6-under 66) and Sahith Theegala (5-under 67). Zalatoris’ former teammate at Wake Forest, Cameron Young, sits T-2, one shot back at 12 under alongside Mississippi local Hayden Buckley.

On the flip side, toward the bottom half of the leaderboard, you may be surprised when you see some of the notable players to miss the cut.

Sanderson Farms: Scores | Yardage book | Photos

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Will Zalatoris takes Sanderson Farms Championship lead with 11-under 61, Wake Forest teammate Cameron Young right behind

Zalatoris highlights a group of four players 25-years-old or younger at the top of the Sanderson Farms leaderboard.

JACKSON, Miss. — Will Zalatoris was one of the most engaging storylines of the PGA Tour’s 2020 super season, and the 25-year-old is keeping his name at the top of headlines and leaderboards once again to start the new Tour season.

After earning Rookie of the Year honors last season as a non-member of the Tour – the first to do so since Charles Howell III in 2001 – Zalatoris finished T-11 two weeks ago at the season-opening Fortinet Championship and fired a bogey-free 11-under 61 during Friday’s second round of the Sanderson Farms Championship to take the lead after the morning wave of play at 13 under.

Zalatoris began the round at Country Club of Jackson on the back nine with a pair of birdies on Nos. 10 and 11 and followed suit on 13, 16 and 18 to make the turn at 5 under. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, his second nine was even better. On the front, he made four consecutive birdies on Nos. 2 through 5 and closed his stellar round with two more on 8 and 9. Six of his eleven birdies were from 12 feet or further, the longest being a 26-footer on the par-3 13th.

Sanderson Farms: Scores | Yardage book | Photos

“I think it’s funny that I get given a hard time about my putting and if you add in Augusta last year which didn’t have ShotLink I would have been a positive strokes-gained putter,” said Zalatoris after his round. “Is it the prettiest? No. But am I productive? Yes.”

Zalatoris added that he was a little fired up watching highlights of the Ryder Cup last week, especially seeing players he grew up playing with representing Team USA in its historic 19-9 win over the Europeans at Whistling Straits.

“I’ve got asked a lot what are your goals for this year and besides winning a golf tournament I really don’t have any,” he explained.

The Wake Forest grad is in position to do just that entering the weekend, and he’s got a friendly face right behind him. His Demon Deacon teammate for three years, Cameron Young, sits T-2 at 12 under with local Mississippi talent Hayden Buckley after both shot rounds of 7-under 65. As the afternoon wave began, Aaron Wise and Stephan Jaeger sat T-4 at 10 under.

“Yeah, he’s incredibly stoic. That’s the thing with him is that you’ll never see him be a fireball or anything like that, he’s an incredibly steady player, he hits it a mile and when he drives it straight I mean it’s tough to beat him because he’s got great hands around the greens, too,” Zalatoris said of Young, who made his first PGA Tour cut this week. “We roomed a bunch together at tournaments, so it will be a lot of fun because technically we’ve never played in a tournament together so hopefully this will be our first time.”

“I mean I wanted to beat him as bad as anybody did because he was the best of all of us, especially his first year at college,” Young, 24, said of Zalatoris, “and my first qualifier I think he beat me by 40. I don’t think I’ll forget that one, but hopefully I will keep it a little closer this time.”

Now a Florida resident after growing up near Tupelo, Mississippi, the 25-year-old Buckley had the crowd on his side on Friday and he took full advantage.

“You want to entertain, I know at the end of the day we are entertainers and there’s so many people that came out to watch so it’s nice to give them something to cheer for,” said Buckley. “You can probably hear it from all over the course, I know I had a couple guys that they were yelling a little too loud, but it’s just so nice to see so many people supporting me and see what I’ve been doing for the last few years.

“I moved away,” continued Buckley. “I went off to college in Missouri and didn’t see a lot of friends, I kind of lost connection with a lot of friends and some family and it’s nice to see all my hard work paying off and for them to see it pay off as well.”

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Chasing his first PGA Tour win (with a baby on the way), Harold Varner III is cool as ever at Sanderson Farms Championship

The East Carolina grad was the lone player to crack the top five on the leaderboard from the afternoon wave.

JACKSON, Miss. — It’s been a big few months for Harold Varner III.

On the course, the 31-year-old is rolling. Over the last three months on the PGA Tour, he’s earned five top-20 finishes over eight events, including a T-16 two weeks ago at the Fortinet Championship in California, the first event of the new season. After a 7-under 65 on Thursday in the first round of the Sanderson Farms Championship at Country Club of Jackson, Varner is back in contention once again.

“I putted well in Napa and I feel like I’m still doing the same thing. The place is pretty pure right now, if you hit a lot of good golf shots you’re going to get a lot of looks and you just got to be patient,” said Varner of his round. “And the way I’m putting it right now I just need to get it on the green.”

Sanderson Farms: Scores | Yardage book | Photos

Off the course, he and his wife, Amanda, are expecting their first child next week. Now you may think that would weigh heavy on a player’s mind or distract their focus on the course. But not for Varner.

“Yeah, I don’t really think about it at all out there because there’s nothing I can do to make that kid come out, that kid’s going to come whenever he has to come,” said Varner. “And the doctor though, she goes to school for a hundred years and still doesn’t know when these kids come. So it is what it is. So nothing we can do. I’ll be prepared.”

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The East Carolina grad was the lone player to crack the top five on the leaderboard from the afternoon wave after Thursday morning’s birdie and eagle fest. Sahith Theegala took the lead with a bogey-free 8-under 64 and holds a one-shot advantage over Varner and Nick Watney entering Friday’s second round. Trailing the trio are Roger Sloan, Kurt Kitayama and Si Woo Kim, who each sit T-4 at 6-under after first-round 66s. Defending champion Sergio Garcia, who compiled a 3-1-0 record last week at the Ryder Cup in a losing effort to the United States, is at 2 under.

Varner qualified for the FedEx Cup Playoffs for the sixth consecutive time last season and earned his best finish on Tour with a runner-up at the RBC Heritage. All that said, he’s still chasing that elusive first win on Tour, and he’ll need to continue to go low to make it happen. The average winning score at the Sanderson Farms the last five years is 19 under. The want to win paired with the need to go low has to add pressure for the North Carolina native, right?

“No, the media’s the only thing that adds pressure because I’m going to answer that question after every day. And it’s just, it is what it is,” explained Varner. “And I’m learning how to deal with it and I hate when people, not ask you, but I hate when people are just always like, ‘When you going to win?’ It’s not like I’m not trying. It’s not easy.

“So it’s a great opportunity, it’s always going to be a challenge I’m just excited for it and I’m not too worried about what anyone else is doing. I used to get caught up in that and I’m just super thankful to be over that step in my life.”

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It’s another par-busting party at Sanderson Farms Championship

Birdies and eagles rule the Sanderson Farms, so much so that the average winning score the past five editions was 19 under.

We all know the familiar adage whenever the U.S. Open is contested.

Par is your friend.

Well, that doesn’t ring true at the Country Club of Jackson, home to the Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Mississippi.

Birdies and eagles rule in the Sanderson Farms, so much so that the average winning score in the past five editions was 19 under. Here, you go low or go home.

That scoring trend seems likely again this year as players lit up the leaderboards with red numbers in Thursday’s first round. There were 20 scores of 68 or better – and that was just out of the morning wave of players. Defending champion Sergio Garcia was eight shots back when he went to the first tee for his afternoon round.

Par busters were so frequent that Corey Conners, who shot 5-under-par 67, didn’t realize he made five consecutive birdies.

“I really didn’t even know I made five in a row until I was signing my scorecard and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s cool.’” he said. “I just tried to play with freedom, was able to roll in some putts and, yeah, able to string some birdies together.”

Sanderson Farms: Scores | Yardage book

Many others put plenty of circles on the scorecards on a day featuring light winds, overcast skies and warm temperatures. And with pure Bermuda greens, the players had a field day at the Country Club of Jackson.

“The greens are some of the best greens we play on all year,” Conners said. “I think it’s a very underrated golf course; it’s right in front of you, but you got to be really on, or you can have some trouble.”

Sahith Theegala had no trouble in a bogey-free 64 to grab the clubhouse lead. The 2020 winner of the Haskins, Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan awards honoring the best player in college is making his 15th start on the PGA Tour.

“Really stress free,” he said of his round. “Probably the best way I can describe it. Just drove it really well. I was really working it well. I got my slider back. I was hitting a pretty good cut, probably 25 to 30 yard cut out there and this course kind of allows it because the trees around the tee box aren’t that close to the tees, so I was just working my ball flight in there and just felt really comfortable all day.

“Being in the fairway helps so much.”

Having the right attitude, especially when facing the heightened expectations Theegala had to deal with when he turned pro, helps, too.

“I think the main thing is that everyone that’s gotten to this point, they know their game is good enough to at least be out here and I think knowing that in the back of our mind, it sounds cliche, but just really have a good time out there,” Theegala said. “I would like to think pretty much everyone loves the game and that’s why they’re playing it and they just happen to be really good at it, so that’s kind of the mindset I’m going to keep having, just go out and have a good time.

“If the golf is there, fantastic. If it’s not there, there’s more to life and live to play another day kind of thing.”

Nick Watney signed for a 65. Roger Sloan and Kurt Kitayama were each at 66.

A large group at 67 included Conners, Adam Hadwin and Sungjae Im. Sam Burns, the highest ranked player in the world at No. 25, shot 68.

Despite the scoring binges, players said they don’t feel any extra pressure to go low to keep up.

“I’ve never done well if I thought, ‘Oh, I have to shoot X-under. I think I do my best when I go out and try to play the shot in front of me,” Watney said. “I know that’s super cliche, but that’s truly how I play my best. That’s what I was even trying to do today. Just to execute my best on that shot.”

Added Kitayama: “I feel like most tournaments scores are low so you kind of know what you gotta do and if you can get to that 20-under number, you can have a good chance to win any week. And if it’s lower, it just happens.”

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Rising star Mito Pereira’s PGA Tour goals after three-win promotion? Keep his card, go to East Lake, ‘why not get a win’

Get to know a little more about the next under-30 rising star on the PGA Tour.

JACKSON, Miss. — If you’re looking for an up-and-coming player to root for on the PGA Tour, you may want to get familiar with Mito Pereira.

The 26-year-old from Chile is playing his first full season on Tour this year, and the early results are pointing to yet another under-30 star in the making. Pereira became the 12th player on the Korn Ferry Tour to earn a three-win automatic promotion to the PGA Tour back in June, and after some struggles out the gate has found some impressive form.

Pereira made four consecutive cuts between July and September, including a T-5 at the Barbasol Championship and T-6 at the 3M Open. The Texas Tech grad also nearly medaled at the Olympics in Japan, finishing T-4 alongside Collin Morikawa, Sebastian Munoz, Rory McIlroy, Paul Casey and Hideki Matsuyama. How’s that for company?

SANDERSON: Tee times, TV | Fantasy | Yardage book

“Oh, the Olympics was so much fun,” Pereira said two weeks ago during the Fortinet Championship, where he finished solo third in the Tour’s first event of the season. “You play for something bigger, my country. Not everybody knows what the PGA Tour is, but everybody in Chile at least knows what the Olympics are. I got so many texts and people who didn’t even play golf just saying like, ‘Hey, I’m going to support you, I’m from Chile,’ so it was such a good experience.”

His positive results over the summer have given Pereira a strong self confidence as he continues his journey through professional golf, but he’s not letting the big moments get to him. As for goals?

“I’m more of a guy to go like week-to-week, but, yeah, of course we got like keep your PGA Tour card or get to East Lake will be a really big deal for me for the end of the season. Why not get a win?” he said with a laugh.

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Sergio Garcia’s post-Ryder Cup record bodes well for his Sanderson Farms Championship title defense

Expect Garcia to be in contention this week, and not just because he won the Sanderson Farms last year.

JACKSON, Miss. — History has a way of repeating itself, and if it does again this week at the Country Club of Jackson, expect Sergio Garcia to be in contention.

And not just because he won last year.

The 41-year-old Spaniard is back to defend his title at the Sanderson Farms Championship, the second event of the new PGA Tour season, just days after a blowout 19-9 loss to the United States at the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits. But don’t let that result fool you. Garcia went 3-1-0 in Wisconsin, with his lone loss of the week coming to Bryson DeChambeau in Sunday singles. He’s the only Ryder Cup participant teeing it up this week, which believe it or not, bodes well for his success.

When making his first post-Ryder Cup start since 2008, Garcia has finished runner-up (2008), T-9 (2012), T-2 (2014), T-17 (2016) and first (2018). The 10-time member of Team Europe said he feels good this week and last week’s result hasn’t quite hit him yet.

Sanderson Farms: Tee times | Power rankings | Odds

“The course is in great shape again, like it was last year. Probably even better than it was,” said Garcia on Wednesday after a nine-hole practice round. “So very nice to be back here, obviously defending my title after a fun week last week. A week that kind of takes a lot of energy, but at the same time it was amazing. So I’m excited about it and just wanted to get my season off to a good start and see where we are.”

Garcia’s decision to return to Jackson for a second time was “quite simple.” First, he loves to attempt to defend his wins, and will look to do so for the first time in his PGA Tour career this week. Second, he loves that southern hospitality – and the golf course.

The way everyone treated us here was just amazing. And the golf course is just a great golf course,” explained Garcia. “So it’s the kind of golf course that I enjoy coming back to playing and I wish we would play more courses like this on Tour. They’re the kind of courses that make you think a little bit and if you hit a good shot it’s right there, it’s not like tricked up or anything like that and if you don’t hit a good shot then you’re going to struggle to make your par. So it’s just a solid golf course and a great tournament and I’m excited to be back.”

The tournament is continuing to grow every year, and the 11-time Tour winner hopes that more players will take notice of the gem in Jackson.

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“I think as people come and play and they see the quality of the golf course and the quality of the tournament it just goes from mouth-to-mouth and then probably more of the top guys want to come and play,” he said. “Obviously it’s as simple as that. If the golf course is so-so, then it kind of pushes back some of the guys, but if you know the golf course is a great golf course and it’s a real nice tournament, then people make a little bit more of an effort to try and come and see it and compete in it.”

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