Welcome back! It’s been a short offseason since Rory McIlroy ascended the FedExcup throne last month, ousting Scottie Scheffler from his No. 1 perch. It was a thrilling finish to a whirlwind 2022 PGA season. The LIV golf controversy remains but the PGA has implemented similar measures for its players shortly to increase compensation and prevent other big names from leaving. We’ll see how it shakes out during the second official event of the 2023 PGA Tour at the Sanderson Farms Championship.
The Sanderson Farms Championship will be held in Jackson, Mississippi at the Country Club of Jackson. No changes have been made to the course since Sam Burns dominated with a -22-under-par finish last year, so expect a lot of circles and red numbers on scorecards throughout the weekend. The field of 144 doesn’t have all of the big names we’ve grown accustomed to watching in recent years, but players like Sahith Theegala, Scott Stallings, and J.T. Poston are just a few of the notables entering Thursday’s opening round.
Here are six high-upside players to target when constructing DFS lineups ahead of a weekend that should provide perfect weather conditions at the CC of Jackson. Let’s start hot!
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Previous Winners
- 2022 – Sam Burns (-22)
- 2021 – Sergio Garcia (-19)
- 2020 – Sebastian Muñoz (-18)
- 2019 – Cameron Champ (-21)
- 2018 – Ryan Armour (-19)
Relevant Betting Stats
- Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee
- Greens in Regulation percentage
- Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green
- Scrambling
Course Overview
The Country Club of Jackson is a stock par 72 that extends 7,461 yards. The course begins with consecutive par 4s and ends with four more of them, including the 18th hole, which measures 505 yards. Four par 3s and four par 5s are mixed in throughout the course as well, providing challenges and also a relief for players struggling to hit greens in regulation on some of the longer par 4s. Designed by Donald Ross over 100 years ago, CC of Jackson had its last restoration effort completed in 2008, so players who have competed at this course in recent years won’t have any new surprises or obstacles to overcome.
The rough is under 3 inches, so it won’t be terrible to navigate, however, the length of the fairways is concerning if errant tee shots are made. Fast Bermudagrass greens measure roughly 13 feet on the Stimpmeter. This means that the warm, dry conditions will make putts roll with quite a bit of velocity. Players will need to exercise caution with their putter, as too much power could result in an aggressive overcorrection and squares instead of circles on the scorecard. Strokes gained tee-to-green and off-the-tee are the priority when assessing player talent at Sanderson Farms. If the irons aren’t dialed in and finding good landing spots, the putting won’t even matter.
Recommended Plays: DraftKings
DraftKings maximum salary is set at $50,000
Sahith Theegala ($10,400)
24-year-old Sahith Theegala captivated golf fans during the 2022 season and it started at Sanderson Farms. Theegala opened up with eight-under-par to climb the leaderboard early, as he maintained under-par in each of the following three rounds to wind up with a T8 finish at -19-under-par. His putter is a weak point but it shouldn’t matter if his irons are dialed in like they were during the FedExCup playoffs. It also helps that Theegala is familiar with the course and will have a comfort level that other players with less success will not possess. Theegala finished 2022 ranked 58th in strokes gained tee-to-green and 55th in strokes gained around the green while averaging 3.83 birdies. He’s expensive for a reason. Invest in a player who is capable of providing a high floor and high ceiling.
Davis Riley ($9,000)
It’s important to follow the background of players in golf, especially when a native returns to play in front of his friends and family. This is the exact case for Davis Riley. The 25-year-old has missed the cut the last two years at Sanderson Farms but he did wind up T39 at seven-under-par during the 2019-20 PGA Tour season. He’s got a strong driver, averaging 4.15 birdies to rank 15th last season, and finished inside the top 50 in terms of strokes gained off-the-tee and tee-to-green. He’s relatively cheap due to his recent history at Sanderson Farms but Riley possesses good value at his current salary.
Harris English ($8,600)
It’s been a couple of years since Harris English last competed at Sanderson Farms but he fared extremely well, producing a T6 finish during the 2019-20 season. English had a volatile scorecard in the four rounds but stayed under par every round, including a hot start with seven-under-par. The 33-year-old only competed in 12 events last season, so it will be interesting to monitor how rusty he is at a course where he’s had a lot of success in the past. The conditions help a lot, particularly with English’s recent T9 finish at the Fortinet Championship. He saved his best round for last, which is encouraging ahead of a crowded field in Jackson. Plug this salary-saver into DFS lineups with confidence.
Recommended Plays: FanDuel
FanDuel maximum salary is set at $60,000
Sam Burns ($12,000)
I have to recommend the winner of the 2022 Sanderson Farms Championship. Sam Burns impressed with his irons all weekend the last time he stepped foot on the course at CC of Jackson. 22-under-par is a phenomenal score and Burns also produced two other outright wins in 2022 to wind up 24th in the FedExCup rankings. Five other T10 finishes also filled Burns’ resumé last year, thanks to ranking 12th in total strokes gained and 10th in strokes gained putting. Burns is a machine when it comes to hitting greens in regulation, hitting over 68 percent last season to finish 26th on Tour. His stats are eye-popping and while Burns couldn’t deliver on the biggest stage in the 2022 FedExCup playoffs, he should be a lock in DFS lineups despite the high salary.
Scott Stallings ($10,900)
37-year-old Scott Stallings held his own during the BMW Championship during the second event of the FedExCup playoffs last month. He went 13-under-par and leaned into his putting ability to produce nearly four birdies per round on average. Stallings missed the cut at Sanderson Farms a year ago but he has previous finishes of T6, T28, and T39 to feel good about his prospects this time around. Stalling is one of the stronger drivers on the PGA Tour and averaged 22.5 percent for his par breakers, which measures the frequency of birdies and eagles on average. Stallings is a bit pricey, but in his 2023 Tour debut, expect him to build off of the momentum from last season to get off to a hot start at Sanderson Farms.
Wyndham Clark ($9,700)
Wyndham Clark has not experienced much success at Sanderson Farms in recent years, missing the cut twice and finishing 66th in the last three years. Clark does hold some appeal in DFS lineups based on his salary, especially considering that he produced a 17th-place finish during his second year on the PGA Tour back in 2017. Clark is another player with a solid average in strokes gained off-the-tee, ranking 56th in 2022 while ranking 31st in strokes gained putting. Clark averages a whopping 319 yards per drive, so he will be in good shape at a course that runs long. There is some risk involved based on previous performances, but Clark has the upside to smash and carry DFS lineups into the green.
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Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.