2020 Sanderson Farms Championship Preview

2020 Sanderson Farms Championship Preview

2020 Sanderson Farms Championship Preview

Dates: September 28 – October 4, 2020
Where: Country Club of Jackson / Jackson, Mississippi
Par/Yards: 72/7,461 yards
Field: 144
2019 champion: Sebastian Munoz
Purse: $6,600,000/$1,188,000 (winner)
FedExCup: 500 points to the winner
Format: 72-hole stroke play

Things to know

  • Field highlighted by Zach Johnson, Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia and Scottie Scheffler
  • Sebastian Munoz looks to become the first player to successfully defend a Sanderson Farms Championship title
  • The Sanderson Farms Championship has produced a first-time winner each year since 2014 (six seasons)
  • For the second season (2019), the Sanderson Farms Championship features a stand-alone date and full FedExCup points
  • Marks the fourth of 50 official events in the 2020-21 PGA TOUR Season
  • In 2019-20, eight of 10 winners in the fall, including Sebastian Munoz, qualified for the TOUR Championship
  • Field includes two of three winners this season; Stewart Cink/Safeway Open, Hudson Swafford/Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship
  • Field includes Korn Ferry Tour standout Will Zalatoris, who comes off back-to-back top-10 finishes at the U.S. Open (T6) and Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship (T8)

A look back at the 2019 Sanderson Farms Championship

Pos.NameR1R2R3R4Total
1.Sebastian Munoz70676370270/-18
2.Sungjae Im68696766270/-18
3.Byeong Hun An66667069271/-17
T4Carlos Ortiz65716571272/-16
T4Kevin Streelman72676964272/-16
  • Sebastian Munoz won last year’s Sanderson Farms Championship over Sungjae Im with a par on the first extra hole, No. 18
  • Runner-up Sungjae Im would go on to secure his first career PGA TOUR victory at The Honda Classic in March of this year
  • Byeong Hun An’s 17-under 271 was good for his fifth top-3 showing on TOUR, as he continues his quest for a first victory

Field Notes – By the Numbers

  • Three FedExCup champions: Bill Haas/2011, Brandt Snedeker/2012, Henrik Stenson/2013
  • Nine past Sanderson Farms Championship winners: Luke Donald (2002), D.J. Trahan (2006), Bill Haas (2010), Chris Kirk (2011), Scott Stallings (2012), Nick Taylor (2014), Peter Malnati (2015), Ryan Armour (2017) and Sebastian Munoz (2019)
  • Nine major championship winners combining for 10 major victories: Zach Johnson (2007 Masters Tournament, 2015 The Open Championship), Sergio Garcia (2017 Masters Tournament), Henrik Stenson (2016 The Open Championship), Jimmy Walker (2016 PGA Championship), Charl Schwartzel (2011 Masters Tournament), Keegan Bradley (2011 PGA Championship), Lucas Glover (2009 U.S. Open), Jason Dufner (2013 PGA Championship) and Stewart Cink (2009 The Open Championship)

Players of Note

Sebastian Munoz

  • Sank a 14’7” putt for birdie on the 72nd hole last year to force sudden death with Sungjae Im; won with a par on the first extra hole (No. 18)
  • Became the first Colombian player to win on the PGA TOUR since Camilo Villegas (2014 Wyndham Championship)
  • Made his first PGA TOUR start at the 2016 Sanderson Farms Championship (T35)
  • Will be making his fourth Sanderson Farms Championship appearance (1st/2019, T50/2018, T35/2016)
  • Has shot par or better in 10 of 12 rounds at the Country Club of Jackson

Sungjae Im

  • 2019 Sanderson Farms Championship runner-up comes off a 22nd-place finish at the U.S. Open in his only start this season
  • 2018-19 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year has amassed seven top-10 finishes each season on TOUR (2018-19, 2019-20)
  • Missed the cut at the 2018 Sanderson Farms Championship in his first tournament start

Hudson Swafford

  • Comes off a win at last week’s Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship; enters No. 2 in the FedExCup standings
  • Was the only player in last week’s field with all four rounds in the 60s
  • Also won The American Express in 2017
  • Is making his third start in the Sanderson Farms Championship (MC/2014, T26/2018)

Will Zalatoris

  • Korn Ferry Tour Points Leader has 11 consecutive top-20s on the Korn Ferry Tour, the longest streak in Tour history
  • Highlighted by a 1st-, 2nd– and 3rd-place finish, has amassed 10 top-10 finishes in 16 Korn Ferry Tour starts this season
  • Comes off back-to-back top-10 finishes at the U.S. Open (T6) and Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship (T8)
  • Enters the week with 185 non-member FedExCup points
  • Needs 103 points to match No. 150 in the 2018-19 FedExCup Points List (288/Martin Kaymer) and earn Special Temporary Membership for the remainder of the season
  • As a Special Temporary Member, would become eligible for unlimited sponsor exemptions for the remainder of the season as he attempts to earn his PGA TOUR card for the 2021-22 season. To do so, he must earn as many or more points through the non-member FedExCup points list as No. 125 on the 2020-21 FedExCup standings

Zach Johnson

  • Finished T8 at the U.S. Open in his last PGA TOUR start
  • Finished T14 at last year’s Sanderson Farms Championship
  • Winner of 12 PGA TOUR events, most recently 2015 The Open Championship

Henrik Stenson

  • Winner of the 2013 FedExCup
  • In only previous Sanderson Farms Championship start, missed the cut at Annandale Golf Club in 2010
  • Among six PGA TOUR titles was a win at The Open Championship in 2016

Sergio Garcia

  • Most recent of 10 PGA TOUR titles was the 2017 Masters Tournament
  • Winner of the 2008 THE PLAYERS Championship
  • Poised to make his first start in the Sanderson Farms Championship

Tournament Records and Notes

  • 13 players have made the Sanderson Farms Championship their first TOUR win, including each of the last six: Sebastian Munoz (2019), Cameron Champ (2018), Ryan Armour (2017), Cody Gribble (2016), Peter Malnati (2015), Nick Taylor (2014), Chris Kirk (2011), D.J. Trahan (2006), Luke Donald (2002), Cameron Beckman (2001), Willie Wood (1996), Ed Dougherty (1995) and Brian Henninger (1994)
  • Since becoming an official PGA TOUR event, only two players have won the Sanderson Farms Championship more than once: Brian Henninger (1994, 1999) and Fred Funk (1998, 2004)
  • Locations of the tournament since 1986: Hattisburg Country Club, Hattiesburg, Mississippi (1986-1993); Annandale Golf Club, Madison, Mississippi (1994-2013); Country Club of Jackson, Jackson, Mississippi (2014-present)
  • Best 18-hole score: 61 (Keith Clearwater/R2/1996)
  • Best 72-hole score: 263 (Dan Halldorson/1986)
  • Largest margin of victory: 5 (Frank Conner/1988, Ryan Armour/2017)
  • Playoffs: 8 (most recent: 2019/Sebastian Munoz over Sungjae Im

via PGA TOUR

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Discover more from GolfBlogger Golf Blog

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading