Sanderson Farms extended its agreement with the PGA Tour to three years. Also, the purse for the Sanderson Farms Championship will increase to $4 million. Additionally, the Sanderson Farms Championship is moving from July to October, which will allow the tournament to compete at the front end of the 2014-2015 official schedule. It will not be contested during the 2013-2014 season, the company said.
“By moving to the front of the schedule, we anticipate a number of players will use this as an opportunity to get out of the gates fast and strengthen their early standing in the FedEx Cup,” said Andy Pazder, PGA Tour chief of operations. “The overall tournament experience also should be enhanced by less volatile weather and more moderate temperatures. Plus, the players undoubtedly will enjoy playing the Champion Bermuda greens that time of the year.”
Joe Sanderson, CEO of Laurel, Miss.-based Sanderson Farms, said the tournament aligned with the company's goals and mission to support local communities and charities. For example, the economic impact of the 2010 tournament was valued at $22 million.
“We had a very positive experience this year and saw the potential to magnify the impact the tournament has,” Sanderson said. “Since it was first held in 1968, this tournament has been very important to our state and the metro Jackson area in terms of the exposure, charitable giving and economic impact it has provided. That is why we made the decision to extend our sponsorship.”
Golf Channel will continue to televise all four rounds of the tournament. Woody Austin is the defending champion.
