Power Rankings: Sanderson Farms Championship

Now that the unemotional and humdrum Presidents Cup is history, it’s time to move on. As if! Some things are easier said than done, and that’s one of them.

Of course, the 15th Presidents Cup was everything but those misleading modifiers, so this week’s Sanderson Farms Championship has a tough act to follow. Then again, it was just last year when its champion, Luke List, parlayed a field-high-tying 23 par breakers into the title of the 2023 edition of RSM Birdies Fore Love that spans the entirety of the FedExCup Fall. They are gifts that keep on giving before the holidays.

For what the field of 132 can expect at The Country Club of Jackson this week, the first glance at the weather and more, continue reading beneath the ranking of those projected to contend.

With 26 par breakers at the Procore Championship, David Lipsky sits atop this year’s race of RSM Birdies for Love. Patton Kizzire (25) captured victory there, so there already have been two winners with just one tournament in the books.

The Sanderson Farms is the second of the eight stops of the FedExCup Fall that concludes at The RSM Classic on the weekend before Thanksgiving. (There is a scheduled week off after these next four.) List emerged for victory in a playoff consisting of a fivesome that concluded regulation in 18-under 270 at The Country Club of Jackson. With no changes to the course, that’s a fair target again this week.

Speaking of targets, the Bermudagrass greens here are about average in size and ready to roll up to 13 feet on the Stimpmeter. Finding fairways on the stock par 72 is more challenging than hitting greens in regulation, but the thickest rough is a manageable 2½ inches, so a smart blend of aggression and course management is rewarded. What’s different than most tracks that can stretch to 7,461 yards like this one is that the par 5s typically are the hardest set of holes relative to par 3s and par 4s.

Last year’s field scoring average of 70.245 was the second-lowest since the course took the reins as host in 2014. Just as there’s nothing new to learn for returning participants, primarily favorable conditions also promote similar scoring this year. By the time the first peg pierces the turf, the calendar will read October, but summertime feels linger in the South. Daytime temperatures will climb well into the 80s all week. Cloud cover and rain likely will slot Friday as the coolest of the days, but wind is not expected to be much of a factor even as energy is close. Sunday’s finale could be one of the nicest of all tournaments all year.

ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE

MONDAY: Power Rankings
TUESDAY: Sleepers
WEDNESDAY: Golfbet Insider
SUNDAY: Points and Payouts; Medical extensions; Qualifiers; Reshuffle