A Masters invite and an increased purse is on offer at the newly upgraded Sanderson Farms Championship in 2019. By Lewis Blain.
Sanderson Farms Championship Receives Huge Boost
The Sanderson Farms Championship has been upgraded this year with an increased purse as well as a Masters invite for the champion.
Historically, this event has been played alongside some elite events including the WGC-HSBC Champions (since 2014), The Open Championship and the Ryder Cup.
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The prize money on offer has increased from $4.4m to $6.6m as the tournament moves from late October to mid-September.
It's a blow to the European Tour's BMW PGA Championship which is being hosted during the same week.
Whilst the purse of the Sanderson Farms Championship ($6.6m) is less than Wentworth ($7m), the lack of travel and addition of a Masters invite may stop some Americans coming over to England.
CEO Joe Sanderson said: "This is a very exciting day for us. This is a journey we started in 2015 when we felt like we wanted to become an unencumbered event. We wanted to invite every player on the PGA Tour to Jackson, Mississippi."
The 2019 Sanderson Farms Championship will be hosted from the 19th-22nd of September which had recently been a free-week due to NBA star Steph Currie's event falling through. It is a week after the Greenbrier Classic and the second tournament of the 2019-20 season.
The event's prominence has come on tenfold since Sanderson Farms became the event sponsor in 2013.
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Andy Pazder, Chief Operating Officer at the PGA Tour, added: "The partnership between the PGA Tour and the Sanderson Farms Championship is unique in that Joe Sanderson has been selfless with his intentions for the tournament and the State of Mississippi. Because of Joe’s vision for growing the state’s largest professional sporting event, this stand-alone date will further elevate the tournament’s stature and provide an even better experience for fans attending the Sanderson Farms Championship."
Last season's tournament paved the way for the breakthrough of young powerhouse Cameron Champ. He won by four strokes over Corey Conners to win his first PGA Tour title inside just nine career starts.
It is Mississippi's only PGA Tour event, with the Country Club of Jackson playing host since 2014.
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