Sanderson Farm Championship 2021 Overview
The Country Club of Jackson is hosting the Sanderson Farm Championship. The course first opened in 1914 and has had several renovations since then. John Fought, who redesigned the course in 2008, is responsible for the present layout. He was influenced by Donald Ross, so we’ll have a course that isn’t the most aesthetically challenging, but requires accuracy from close range, particularly around the greens. Approach play has been a key factor at all Ross courses and this week will be no different with the new design taking his style into consideration.This event has been held on the PGA Tour since 2013, however it has previously hosted other events dating back to the 1990s.
The course will be a Par 72 with a total length of 7,461 yards. This week, the lads will be putting on Bermuda greens, so keep that in mind while selecting your choices. Driving distance was the key to a high finish last year. Last year, the top flight routinely rated as some of the longest hitters in all key metrics. Shorter hitters can still put up numbers here, as Sungjae Im did last year in a playoff with reigning champ Sebastian Munoz. Ryan Armour has also won here as one of the course’s “short hitters.”
5 Key Skills Set Required
- Putting – When looking at the data it is very clear that putting at the Sanderson’s farm events is of significant importance. This week I will be looking for players that show a tendency to put well under the burmudagrass greens and when making my final picks I will pay close attention to putting performance. In addition to Burmudagrass green performance it’s also noted that the green speed here is always on the fast side.
- Birdies or Better % – Traditionally not the strongest of fields going to post here and then what is a low scoring event I want players who have a proven track record of making plenty of birdies.
- Driving Distance – We have seen long hitters and short hitters win at this event in the past however the course doesn’t punish those slightly wayward off the tee, and therefore I favor players with strong driving distance stats behind them.
- GIR – Given the importance of putting this week it makes sense to consider players who are hitting plenty of greens in regulation and therefore giving themselves plenty of outside birdie looks at the very least.
- Par 4 Scoring 400-450 yards – Six holes fall in this range and therefore pays dividends to consider players who can take advantage of the short to medium par 4’s.
