The Sanderson Farms Championship was a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, played annually in Mississippi. It moved to the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson in autumn 2014, early in the 2015 season.

The tournament was part of the PGA Tour schedule from 1968 up until its final year in 2025. It had raised more than $8.1 million for statewide charities. Originally played at the Hattiesburg Country Club in Hattiesburg, the event moved in 1994 to Annandale Golf Club in Madison, which hosted through 2013.

Since 2013, the tournament's title sponsor had been Sanderson Farms, a poultry farming corporation based in Laurel, Mississippi. The tournament's host organization, Century Club Charities, is a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is promoting the game of golf for the benefit of charity. The Sanderson Farms Championship's primary charity is Friends of Children's Hospital, which benefits the Batson's Children Hospital.

Course The Country Club of Jackson opened in 1914. It is a private club with 27 championship holes, 18 of which were re-designed by John Fought in 2008 and measure from the championship tees. Fought's layout incorporates classic Donald Ross flavor – parkland style routing with smallish, tricky greens – which range in size from .

History The tournament was founded as the Magnolia Classic in 1968 and retained that title through 1985, with notable winners including Roger Maltbie, Craig Stadler, and Payne Stewart. Since 1986, the tournament has had several different names under title sponsorship agreements with Deposit Guaranty (1986–1998), Farm Bureau (1999–2006), Viking (2007–2011) and Sanderson Farms (since 2013); in 2012, it was without a title sponsor and named the True South Classic.

In the past, this tournament was generally played opposite of a major or limited field tournament (officially termed an "alternate event" by the PGA Tour). It later became part of the Fall Series, a group of events held after The Tour Championship, before returning to its former status as an alternate event in 2011. In either case, the leading players in men's professional golf rarely participate. Until 1994, it was played opposite the Masters Tournament and then opposite The Open Championship in the mid-1990s. More recently, it played opposite various World Golf Championships and The Tour Championship. From 2007 to 2010, it generally played opposite the major team events involving PGA Tour players, namely the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup. In 2011, it returned to the PGA Tour regular season opposite the British Open in July.

It has been an official money event on the PGA Tour since 1994. Prior to that, it was a satellite event with the money counting but the wins counting as unofficial, except from 1983 to 1985, when it was instead part of the developmental Tournament Players Series.

From 2007 to 2010, it was part of the Fall Series. Because the FedEx Cup season championship was already determined by that time, elite players generally passed on Fall Series events; most players in the tournament were trying to either make the Top 125 on the money list and retain their tour cards, or earn a quick two-year exemption by winning. The 2007 event was played in the same week as the Presidents Cup; most of the top Tour players played in that event instead of the Viking Classic. The situation was similar in 2008, with the tournament being scheduled opposite the Ryder Cup. The 2009 purse was due to be $3,700,000, with $666,000 going to the winner. That year's event was also to be the first in the tournament's recent history to be the sole event on the PGA Tour schedule for that week, as it had been moved to the end of October with a scheduled finish on November 1. However, the tournament was canceled on October 31, due to unplayable conditions at the Annandale Golf Club. The event was not rescheduled. The 2010 event was again held opposite the Ryder Cup. This would be the tournament's last fall edition, as it would move into the regular season the following year. In 2013, the title sponsor changed to Sanderson Farms. The tournament was not held in the 2013–14 season because of the new PGA Tour wraparound season; the 2014 tournament, part of the 2014–15 season, moved to late October and was played opposite the WGC-HSBC Champions in China.

As an alternate event, the winner did not receive an invitation to the Masters Tournament, but did earn a trip to the PGA Championship, a two-year PGA Tour exemption, a minimum of 24 OWGR points, and 300 FedEx Cup points. For the 2019–20 season, the tournament was upgraded from an alternate event to a full status event; it was also rescheduled to September, as the second tournament of the PGA Tour season. Along with an increased prize fund, the change of status meant the winner receives the full benefits of a regular PGA Tour event, with 500 FedEx Cup points and an invitation to The Masters.

Over the years, the Sanderson Farms Championship has been played opposite a number of different tournaments:

Year(s)Tournament2014–2018WGC-HSBC Champions1994–1998, 2011–2013The Open Championship2008, 2010Ryder Cup2007Presidents Cup2003–2004, 2006WGC-American Express Championship1999–2002, 2005Tour Championship1969–1993Masters Tournament1968Colonial National Invitation

Winners YearTourWinnerScoreTo parMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-upPurse($)Winner'sshare ($)Ref.Sanderson Farms Championship 2025 PGAT Steven Fisk 264 −24 2 strokes Garrick Higgo 6,000,000 1,080,000 2024 PGAT Kevin Yu 265 −23 Playoff Beau Hossler 7,600,000 1,368,000 2023 PGAT Luke List 270 −18 Playoff Ludvig Åberg Ben Griffin Henrik Norlander Scott Stallings 8,200,000 1,476,000 2022 PGAT Mackenzie Hughes 271 −17 Playoff Sepp Straka 7,900,000 1,422,000 2021 PGAT Sam Burns 266 −22 1 stroke Nick Watney Cameron Young 7,000,000 1,260,000 2020 PGAT Sergio García 269 −19 1 stroke Peter Malnati 6,600,000 1,188,000 2019 PGAT Sebastián Muñoz 270 −18 Playoff Im Sung-jae 6,600,000 1,188,000 2018 PGAT Cameron Champ 267 −21 4 strokes Corey Conners 4,400,000 792,000 2017 PGAT Ryan Armour 269 −19 5 strokes Chesson Hadley 4,300,000 774,000 2016 PGAT Cody Gribble 268 −20 4 strokes Chris Kirk Luke List Greg Owen 4,200,000 756,000 2015 PGAT Peter Malnati 270 −18 1 stroke William McGirt David Toms 4,100,000 738,000 2014 PGAT Nick Taylor 272 −16 2 strokes Jason Bohn Boo Weekley 4,000,000 720,000 2013 PGAT Woody Austin 268 −20 Playoff Cameron Beckman Daniel Summerhays 3,000,000 540,000 True South Classic 2012 PGAT Scott Stallings 264 −24 2 strokes Jason Bohn 3,000,000 540,000 Viking Classic 2011 PGAT Chris Kirk 266 −22 1 stroke George McNeill Tom Pernice Jr. 3,600,000 648,000 2010 PGAT Bill Haas 273 −15 3 strokes Michael Allen 3,600,000 648,000 2009 PGAT Canceled due to rain 2008 PGAT Will MacKenzie 269 −19 Playoff Brian Gay Marc Turnesa 3,600,000 648,000 2007 PGAT Chad Campbell 275 −13 1 stroke Johnson Wagner 3,500,000 630,000 Southern Farm Bureau Classic 2006 PGAT D. J. Trahan 275 −13 Playoff Joe Durant 3,000,000 540,000 2005 PGAT Heath Slocum 267 −21 2 strokes Carl Pettersson Loren Roberts 3,000,000 540,000 2004 PGAT Fred Funk (2) 266 −22 1 stroke Ryan Palmer 3,000,000 540,000 2003 PGAT John Huston 268 −20 1 stroke Brenden Pappas 3,000,000 540,000 2002 PGAT Luke Donald 201 −15 1 stroke Deane Pappas 2,600,000 468,000 2001 PGAT Cameron Beckman 269 −19 1 stroke Chad Campbell 2,400,000 432,000 2000 PGAT Steve Lowery 266 −22 Playoff Skip Kendall 2,200,000 396,000 1999 PGAT Brian Henninger (2) 202 −14 3 strokes Chris DiMarco 2,000,000 360,000 Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic 1998 PGAT Fred Funk 270 −18 2 strokes Paul Goydos Franklin Langham Tim Loustalot 1,200,000 216,000 1997 PGAT Billy Ray Brown 271 −17 1 stroke Mike Standly 1,000,000 180,000 1996 PGAT Willie Wood 268 −20 1 stroke Kirk Triplett 1,000,000 180,000 1995 PGAT Ed Dougherty 272 −16 2 strokes Gil Morgan 700,000 126,000 1994 PGAT Brian Henninger 135 −9 Playoff Mike Sullivan 700,000 126,000 1993 Greg Kraft 267 −13 1 stroke Morris Hatalsky Tad Rhyan 300,000 54,000 1992 Richard Zokol 267 −13 1 stroke Mike Donald Bob Eastwood Mike Nicolette Greg Twiggs 300,000 54,000 1991 Larry Silveira 266 −14 Playoff Russ Cochran Mike Nicolette 300,000 54,000 1990 Gene Sauers 268 −12 2 strokes Jack Ferenz 300,000 54,000 1989 Jim Booros 199 −11 Playoff Mike Donald 200,000 36,000 1988 Frank Conner 267 −13 5 strokes Brian Mogg 200,000 36,000 1987 David Ogrin 267 −13 1 stroke Nick Faldo 200,000 36,000 1986 Dan Halldorson 263 −17 2 strokes Paul Azinger 200,000 36,000 Magnolia Classic 1985 Jim Gallagher Jr. 131 −9 Playoff Paul Azinger 150,000 27,500 1984 Lance Ten Broeck 201 −9 Playoff Mike Smith 150,000 27,000 1983 Russ Cochran 203 −7 2 strokes Sammy Rachels 150,000 27,000 1982 Payne Stewart 270 −10 3 strokes Jay Cudd Bruce Douglass 75,000 13,500 1981 Tom Jones 268 −12 Playoff Mike Smith 75,000 13,500 1980 Roger Maltbie 65 −5 1 stroke Lee Carter 25,000 4,500 1979 Bobby Walzel 272 −8 Playoff Buddy Gardner 50,000 9,000 1978 Craig Stadler 268 −12 1 stroke Bob Eastwood Bruce Fleisher 35,000 7,000 1977 Mike McCullough 269 −11 3 strokes Gary Groh Orville Moody 35,000 7,000 1976 Dennis Meyer 271 −9 2 strokes Artie McNickle Tom Purtzer 35,000 7,000 1975 Bob Wynn 270 −10 2 strokes Mike Morley 35,000 7,000 1974 Dwight Nevil (2) 133 −7 2 strokes Bunky Henry Gil Morgan 17,500 3,500 1973 Dwight Nevil 268 −12 3 strokes Bert Greene 35,000 7,000 1972 Mike Morley 269 −11 3 strokes Rick Rhodes 35,000 7,000 1971 Roy Pace 270 −10 1 stroke Jack Lewis Jr. 35,000 7,000 1970 Chris Blocker 271 −9 1 stroke Roy Pace Martin Roesink 35,000 5,000 1969 Larry Mowry 272 −8 1 stroke Larry Hinson Alvin Odom 35,000 5,000 1968 Mac McLendon 269 −11 Playoff Pete Fleming 20,000 2,800

Multiple winners Three men have won this tournament twice: Dwight Nevil: 1973, 1974 Brian Henninger: 1994, 1999 Fred Funk: 1998, 2004

See also Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum ("Viking Classic Exhibit")

Notes

References

External links

Coverage on the PGA Tour's official site