JACKSON, Miss. — With just one player ranked inside the top 25 of the Official World Golf Ranking in the field at the Sanderson Farms Championship this week, a group of hopeful rising stars on the PGA Tour have taken advantage of the opportunity to reach the leaderboard.
Last season’s Rookie of the Year Will Zalatoris took the early lead at 13 under after setting the course record (and tying the tournament mark) with a bogey-free 11-under 61 on Friday at Country Club of Jackson. Later in the evening he was joined atop the leaderboard by Nick Watney (6-under 66) and Sahith Theegala (5-under 67). Zalatoris’ former teammate at Wake Forest, Cameron Young, sits T-2, one shot back at 12 under alongside Mississippi local Hayden Buckley.
On the flip side, toward the bottom half of the leaderboard, you may be surprised when you see some of the notable players to miss the cut.
Sanderson Farms: Scores | Yardage book | Photos
When making his first post-Ryder Cup start since 2008, Garcia has finished runner-up (2008), T-9 (2012), T-2 (2014), T-17 (2016) and first (2018). Last year’s defending champion just didn’t have it this week in Jackson like he did last week at Whistling Straits, where he compiled a 3-1-0 record for Team Europe in its losing effort to the U.S.
Consecutive rounds of 2-under 70 had Garcia on the cut line for most of the day before a late move left him one shot from the weekend.
Sergio Garcia reacts after hitting a tee shot during the first round of the Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Miss., Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021.
ZJ got a nice pop from the crowd when he teed off on Friday as the starter addressed him as “2021 U.S. Ryder Cup Vice-Captain,” but the two-time major champion didn’t run with the American momentum this week. Johnson shot rounds of 73-70 to finish T-102 and 1 under.
Zach Johnson plays his shot from the 13th tee during round one of the Sanderson Farms Championship at Country Club of Jackson on September 30, 2021 in Jackson, Mississippi. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
After a T-4 last year at the Sanderson Farms, Bradley entered this week with a little buzz around his name. The four-time winner on Tour advanced to the second leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs last year but struggled in his first start of the new season, finishing 3-under after rounds of 72-69.
Keegan Bradley reacts to his shot on the eighth hole during round one of the Sanderson Farms Championship at Country Club of Jackson on September 30, 2021 in Jackson, Mississippi. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
Snedeker’s 3-under 69 on Thursday had him in prime position to play the weekend but a 1-over 73 on Friday left him a few shots short. The nine-time PGA Tour winner made a bit of a run on his second nine with birdies on Nos. 3 and 5, but a bogey on the par-3 7th and a missed birdie on the 8th sent him home early at 2-under, T-95.
Brandt Snedeker plays his shot on the 16th hole during round one of the Sanderson Farms Championship at Country Club of Jackson on September 30, 2021 in Jackson, Mississippi. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
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