SANDERSON FARMS: After the high-stakes drama of the Ryder Cup, the PGA Tour resets in Mississippi where a much more serene atmosphere is sure to await the players at the Sanderson Farms Championship, a Fall Swing staple that may not draw a lot of attention but is nonetheless a tremendous opportunity for many in the field. This is the kind of week where careers can change: the stars are mostly sitting out, so what we’re left with is a fun mix of hungry youngsters, bubble boys, and veteran journeymen trying to prove they still belong.
Country Club of Jackson will serve as the host venue for the 11th consecutive year; it’s a fairly straightforward par-72 that measures just under 7,500 yards and features wide fairways, soft Bermuda greens, and four very reachable par-5s. It’s not a layout that’s going to beat players up… far from it. This will be a full-on birdie-fest, a race to 20-under (or lower). Keep it in the fairway, dial in your mid-irons, and catch a hot putter. That’s the formula here.
This event has produced a mixed bag of winners over the years, from veteran stalwarts like Sergio Garcia to budding young stars like Sam Burns to unheralded up-and-comers like last year’s champion, Kevin Yu. Comfort with Bermuda greens is a key factor for success, and that’s one thing that just about all of the past champions here seem to have in common: they mostly grew up in parts of the world where Bermuda grass is the norm. Keep that in mind as you’re handicapping the field this week.
BETDAQ’s Win Market is topped by names like Akshay Bhatia, Min Woo Lee, and Michael Thorbjornsen, but history tells us this isn’t the place to chase favorites. Since the event moved to CC of Jackson, longshots and mid-tier players have ruled the day. That 40.0–80.0 range is where many winners have been found.
With that in mind, here’s what I’m thinking this week:
WIN MARKET
Recommendations to BACK (odds in parenthesis)
Davis Thompson (25.0)- Though 2025 has largely been a disappointment for Thompson, he’s been playing some of his best golf over the past few weeks, finding the top-20 in 3 of his past 5 starts, including a T19 at the Procore last time out in a field full of American Ryder Cuppers. The competition won’t be quite so stiff this week, and Thompson has experienced success at this tournament before, making the cut in all three of his starts and finishing 16th in 2023, his last appearance. Like many past champions here, he learned the game on the Bermuda greens of the Southeast US and will be supremely comfortable at a venue like CC of Jackson. He’s my favorite top-of-market bet this week.
Mackenzie Hughes (55.0)- Throughout his career Hughes has always been a rather streaky player, stringing together a couple of good weeks in between stretches of mediocrity. Well, after taking a few weeks off following a rough stretch in late summer, Hughes returned with a bang at the recent Procore Championship, opening with a 63 and going on to finish 7th, his fourth top-10 of 2025 but first since May. He’ll look to carry on the good play this week at a place where he’s experienced the highest of highs, having won this event back in 2022. He threatened again last year and ended up finishing 8th, so it’s clear that Country Club of Jackson is a great fit for his game and a place where he feels really comfortable. Hughes is a tremendous value here at better than 50/1.
Erik van Rooyen (90.0)- Van Rooyen is a tough competitor who has proven that he has what it takes to win all over the world, with four international victories since 2017, including two on the PGA Tour. And though he’s had his share of missed cuts this season, he’s also nearly won a couple of times, logging a pair of runner-up finishes across his past dozen PGA Tour events, the most recent coming just three starts ago. And he played well in his lone appearance at this tournament, in 2023, posting 12-under for the week and finishing 16th. All things considered, van Rooyen feels like an absolute bargain at a price like 90.0.
