Most of the time picking a favorite to win a PGA Tour event is a smart bet, but the play this week at the Sanderson Farms Championship might be to look a little further down the betting board. That is because the event, played at the Country Club of Jackson, Mississippi, is opposite the World Golf Championship’s HSBC Classic in China.
While four of the top five golfers in the Official World Golf Rankings are in Asia, the highest ranked golfer at the Sanderson Farms Championship is No. 76 Dylan Frittelli. He’s not even the favorite. That honor goes to Sungjae Im, who is at 20/1. Frittelli is lumped in with the next group at 25/1, which includes Lucas Glover, Aaron Baddeley, Harold Varner III, and defending champion Ryan Armour.
For some golfers it is a good week to skip an event and get some rest. Because it is opposite the WGC event, the winning golfer doesn’t get an invite to the Masters. They do, however, get a first-place check of $774,000, and a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour.
Opportunity for Rising Stars, Comeback Players
That is plenty of incentive for many of the golfers in the field. Lucas Glover, for example, turned pro in 2001 and has more than $20 million in career earnings, but has struggled the last couple of years. The 38-year-old was in danger of losing his playing privileges before finishing second at the Web.Com Tour Championship.
He has already played one event in the 2018-2019 season finishing tied for 17th at the Safeway Open. The former US Open winner finished tied for fifth in 2016, the last time he played in the event.
There have been five golfers since the tournament became an alternate event seven years ago to win their first tournament at Sanderson Farms. Armour last year, Cody Gribble in 2016, Peter Malnati in 2015, Nick Taylor in 2014 and Chris Kirk in 2011.
Battle of Unknowns
This might be the week to resist betting on players that gamblers are familiar with, and instead going with golfers that aren’t household names. There are only two golfers – Im and Armour – that played last week at the CJ Nine Bridges Cup, and are entered for this event.
Staying away from those two might be prudent. They were half a world away in South Korea, then had to get on a plane and fly to Mississippi for the Sanderson Farms. Im finished tied for 41st last week, and Armour was tied for 29th. That much travel might affect those golfers much more than they might realize.
Another golfer to take a pass on this week is Bill Haas. One of the more solid players on tour, the 36-year-old was involved in a fatal car crash in February, and had a hard time regaining his form. He had one top 10 and missed eight cuts.
He did have a tie for 10th at the Safeway Open, and is motivated to do well, since he is on a medical exemption and needs to earn enough money to keep his card. The odds to provide some value at 30/1, so it wouldn’t be a completely terrible pick.
