Mississippi’s lone professional golf tournament will soon tee off in Jackson with Sanderson Farms acting as the title sponsor one last time.
The Sanderson Farms Championship is set to take place at the Country Club of Jackson with events running from Monday, Sept. 30 through Monday, Oct. 7. Sanderson Farms, a poultry producer based in Laurel that recently underwent a merger to become Wayne-Sanderson Farms, has been the title sponsor since 2013. However, this will be the company’s final year as the primary financial backer, ending a 12-year run.
Though Sanderson Farms will no longer be the title sponsor come 2025, the chicken producer will stay on board as a presenting sponsor to assist with charitable contributions for the next two years. In the meantime, the tournament’s executive director, Steve Jent, is planning to court a potential suitor to have their business at the forefront of future tournaments.
“We really want to use the tournament week to entertain and bring some folks in to see what the excitement of a PGA Tour event in Mississippi is like,” Jent said. “So we wanted to get the news out that this is Sanderson Farms’ last year as a title sponsor.”
Since becoming the title sponsor in 2013, Sanderson Farms has helped the tournament raise more than $17 million with its primary charity of choice being Children’s of Mississippi. Other local charities have also been supported through the event.
Before Sanderson Farms, other title sponsors of the event included Deposit Guaranty (1986-1998), Farm Bureau (1999-2006), and Viking (2007-2011). The tournament began in 1968 as the Magnolia Classic and was played in Hattiesburg before moving to the Jackson metro, where it has been played at Madison’s Annandale and the Country Club of Jackson. In 2012, it was called the True South Classic because it did not have a title sponsor.
With that in mind, Jent is confident that the annual event will not only survive but also emerge stronger than ever with a new title sponsor.
“This is our 57th year. I think we’ve got nine lives and we haven’t used them yet,” Jent said, assuring golf enthusiasts that the tournament is not going anywhere. “I’m pretty excited about where we can take this for the next few years.”
While the pool of players in this year’s tournament has not quite been rounded out, Jent gave a sneak peek of some golfers who will make their way to the capital city at the end of the month.
Mississippi natives Hayden Buckley, Davis Riley, Chad Ramey, and Wilson Furr will return to familiar territory. Other notable professionals preparing to embark on a competitive journey in Mississippi include former U.S. Open winner Gary Woodland, three-time PGA Tour winner Cameron Champ, and rising star Nick Dunlap.
Tickets can be purchased and the full schedule for the 2024 Sanderson Farms Championship can be viewed here.
