Power Rankings: Sanderson Farms Championship

Ever since the consecutive doubleheaders in mid-July, it’s been a whirlwind of action on the PGA TOUR. From those four events in a fortnight to the run-up to the FedExCup Playoffs to the series itself to the determination of the final set of new members via the Korn Ferry Tour Finals, and then with the 2022-23 season starting before the special week to focus on the Presidents Cup, the routing has been rigorous.

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Now it’s time to exhale. Where better than in the embraceable tempo of the South to reconnect with a steady cadence that will take the TOUR all the way to the holiday break. The first in the eight-week groove is the Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Mississippi.

A field of 144 is assembling at the Country Club of Jackson. For what it expects, how the final leaderboard should be determined and more, continue reading beneath the ranking.

POWER RANKINGS: SANDERSON FARMS CHAMPIONSHIP

Seamus Power, Sepp Straka, Chris Kirk and Christiaan Bezuidenhout will be among the notables reviewed in Draws and Fades.

Contributing to the familiar feels of routine is the arrival of autumn that, of course, includes the SEC digging into league play on the gridiron. College football’s strongest conference is well-represented on the PGA TOUR for all the reasons, so it’s of little surprise that it boasts the defending champion of the Sanderson Farms Championship, Sam Burns.

The LSU product set the course tournament record on the CC of Jackson at 22-under 266 last year. Sensibly, the field’s scoring average of 69.870 also was a new low in its eight years as host. With no changes to the stock par 72 and absolutely perfect weather forecast, both marks are within reach this week.

The tallest rough is trimmed to 2½ inches and the bermuda greens are prepped to measure 13 feet on the Stimpmeter. At 7,461 yards, CC of Jackson can stretch but it’s always rewarded all skill sets. It’s lengthened in time but consider that Ryan Armour prevailed only five years ago when the track was just 40 yards shorter. Cameron Champ took the title the following year. You don’t need to dive into the data to confirm that positioning those two winners at opposite ends of the spectrum in distance off the tee is correct. Calling cards are calling cards, and that includes the fair and consistent test in the Mississippi capital.

Indeed, muscle matters, but precision on approach almost always elevates into the top priority in a shootout. Case in point, Burns co-led the field in greens in regulation (63 of 72) en route to his victory. He also paced it in Stroked Gained: Off-the-Tee and SG: Tee-to-Green. And he needed every bit of that dominance because he surrendered two strokes on the greens across four rounds. It was proof that not all shootouts are putting contests.

ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE

PGATOUR.com’s Rob Bolton recaps and previews every tournament from numerous perspectives. Look for his following contributions as scheduled.

MONDAY: Power Rankings
TUESDAY*: Sleepers, Draws & Fades
WEDNESDAY: Pick ’Em Preview
SUNDAY: Medical Extensions, Qualifiers, Reshuffle

* - Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday.