Sanderson Farms Championship 2024 Preview, Picks & Analysis

The Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club in Jackson will have a new sponsor in 2025 so expect some emotional scenes as the big-hitting Luke List defends his title.

This year’s event will have to go some to match the drama we witnessed last year. List won after coming out on top in a five-man playoff, holing a monstrous putt on the first extra hole to snatch the title for his second PGA Tour victory.

The playoff only happened because Ben Griffin struggled on the back nine and ultimately missed an eight-footer on the final green to win. It meant that List, Ludvig Aberg, Henrik Norlander, Scott Stallings and Griffin had to return to the par-four 18th. List closed with a two-under 70 and missed a birdie chance from just inside 10 feet on the final hole, giving away his cap to a fan because he believed that would be the last hole he played.

"It's been a full roller coaster," List said. "I hung in there. I didn't think it was going to be enough, but here we are. It's been a crazy 20 minutes."

Griffin had a birdie putt in the playoff from about 35 feet but failed to hole it. He began the day with a three-shot lead and was still ahead by two with three holes remaining.

But he went from the right rough to long and right of the 16th green, chipping to some 20 feet and missing the putt to take bogey. Still with a one-shot lead, he was in the left rough when he pulled his approach to the 18th hole near the grandstands. He chipped eight feet beyond the hole and his par putt for his first PGA Tour win grazed the right edge of the cup.

"I hit the wrong shot at the wrong time," Griffin said of his approach into the 18th in regulation. "I needed to keep it low with the wind up there, and I chose a club that I was hitting it high. I wish I had maybe taken a bit more time and really thought through the shot. It's a bummer, I thought I was going to still be able to get it done today."

List will, of course, be back to defend his title, with many players in the field looking for big finishes as they attempt to retain their playing privileges for 2025. Former Dunhill Links and BMW PGA winner Ryan Fox is among them.

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

One such golfer is three-time PGA Tour winner Cameron Champ, who is currently languishing in 165th place in the FedEx Cup rankings and whose world ranking has tumbled to 346.

In December 2017, Champ tied for 16th in the Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament, earning a place on the Web.com Tour for the start of 2018.

During the 2018 season he won the Utah Championship and secured his PGA Tour card for the 2018-19 season by earning $253,731 and finishing sixth in the 2018 Web.com Tour rankings.

He arrived on the PGA Tour amid much fanfare as one of the biggest hitters in the game. Champ has worked with instructor Sean Foley since the age of 14 and although he hits a lower ball flight than the average long hitter on the PGA Tour, was the longest driver on tour for the 2018-19 season with a 317.1 yard average. For the 2018 Web.com Tour season, Champ averaged 343.1 yards off the tee and led the 2017 U.S. Open in driving distance at 337 yards.

In October 2018 he won this very tournament with a total of 21 under par. He also finished sixth at the RSM Classic and tied 10th at the Mayakoba Classic, climbing to 97th in the world and sixth in the FedEx Cup standings heading into 2019.

On September 29, 2019, he won the Safeway Open with a birdie at the 72nd hole. In June 2020 Champ became only the second PGA Tour player after Nick Watney to test positive for Covid.

On July 25, 2021, Champ scored a two stroke victory at the 3M Open after a gap wedge on the final hole to within three feet to save par. He had five birdies and no bogeys in his final round to shoot 15-under 269 at TPC Twin Cities. But it is fair to say that he has struggled ever since.

Maverick McNealy is a man who keeps going close but has yet to close the deal. He has twice finished runner-up, finished third once, had five top five and 16 top 10s. This year has seen four top 10s and eight top 25s in 22 starts.

Despite being America's most highly rated professional golf prospect in 2016, McNealy considered passing on golf for a career in business. It is hardly surprising - his father, Scott, co-founded Sun Microsystems, which was acquired by Oracle Corporation for a cool $7.4 billion in 2010.

McNealy played on the Web.com Tour in 2018, playing in 18 tournaments and making the cut in 12. His best finish was a tie for third at the United Leasing and Finance Championship. He won a total of $84,261 and finished 65th on the money list for 2018. It was not good enough to secure him a PGA Tour card, but he did earn full status on the Web.com Tour for the 2019 season.

He did make it to the PGA Tour for the 2019-20 season and has comfortably retained his card ever since. 

Matt Kuchar will be making his 558th PGA Tour start. He is a man who has spent most of his career in the top 20 in the world rankings, winning nine times and finishing second on 15 occasions. More recently it has all become something of a struggle for the veteran American, who has slipped to 91st in the world rankings. He has missed 11 cuts this season but has recently rediscovered something approaching his best, finishing tied third at the 3M, tied 12th at the Wyndham and tied 13th at the Procore - he may just have one more win in him.

Tournament Winners:

It was won in 2015 by Peter Malnati, in 2016 by Cody Gribble, in 2017 by Ryan Armour, in 2018 by Cameron Champ, in 2019 by Sebastian Munoz, in 2020 by Sergio Garcia, in 2021 by Sam Burns, in 2022 by Mackenzie Hughes and last year by Luke List.

The Course:

The Country Club of Jackson opened in 1914 and was redesigned by John Fought in 2008. It is a parkland course that measures 7,400 yards and features small, tricky greens.

Form Guide:

Matt Kuchar has endured a rough ride over the past couple of years but his recent form has been excellent, and this is a course that should suit his game.

To Win:

Maverick McNealy. Must breakthrough at some point

Each Way:

Matt Kuchar. Been there, done that

Each Way:

Ben Griffin. Gifted American

Five to Follow:

Maverick McNealy. Looking for a first win

Matt Kuchar. Still has some game

Ben Griffin. Mercurial talent

Eric Cole. Glorious golf swing

Cameron Champ. In the doldrums