Steve Palmer's Sanderson Farms Championship predictions & free golf betting tips

Golf tips, best bets and player analysis for the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson on the PGA Tour.

Where to watch

Live on Sky Sports Golf red button from 1pm on Thursday

Best bets

Sam Burns
4pts each-way 18-1 Hills

Cam Davis
2pts each-way 35-1 bet365

Kyoung-Hoon Lee
1pt each-way 80-1 bet365

Scott Stallings
1pt each-way 70-1 Betfred

Davis Thompson
0.5pt each-way 300-1 bet365

Davis Riley
0.5pt each-way 250-1 Betfair, Power

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Sergio Garcia is the only Ryder Cup player competing in the Sanderson Farms Championship this week - and one of the few Europeans who left Whistling Straits with any credit. Without Garcia's excellent new partnership with Jon Rahm, Europe would have suffered an even greater beating at the hands of a rampant United States.

Garcia, though, lost his Sunday singles match to Bryson DeChambeau and one wonders whether the Spaniard regrets his entry in the Sanderson Farms. Defending your titles is an honourable thing for golfers to do, but a week with his feet up getting over Whistling Straits might seem more appealing to the 41-year-old.

Steve Palmer's top tip

Sam Burns 18-1

If Garcia lacks some lust for competition and Will Zalatoris putts as poorly as he did in the Fortinet Championship last time out, then Sam Burns could romp to the second PGA Tour title of his career.
The United States have a strong conveyor belt of talent backing up what is already a formidable and young Ryder Cup side. Burns, Zalatoris, Matt Wolff and Cameron Champ may all make bids for the 2023 team which jets to Rome.

Burns is the world number 25, teeing up this week in a low-grade event close to home, doubtless expecting to contend. He seems the most likely champion and deserves favouritism.

Burns made his PGA Tour breakthrough in May - a three-shot victory in the Valspar Championship - and he has posted two runner-up finishes since in the Byron Nelson and the WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational.

The 25-year-old played some great golf in the FedEx Cup playoffs, improving his score in each round of the Tour Championship, and he has been resting since. This week the Louisiana man, who was third in the 2018 Sanderson Farms when outside the world's top 100, gets a dreamy soft, long track to attack, and should make merry.

Next best bet

Cam Davis 35-1

The main threat to Burns may come from Cam Davis, who was tied for the lead going into the final round of last year's event. The inexperienced Australian youngster understandably buckled in a high-pressure final twoball alongside the legendary Garcia, fading to sixth place, but the tournament as a whole showed how well the Country Club of Jackson sets up for Davis.

Since the last Sanderson Farms, Davis has become a PGA Tour champion, winning the Rocket Mortgage Classic in fine style in July - and this rising star can show off his textbook swing again in Mississippi.

Other selections

Kyoung-Hoon Lee 80-1

Scott Stallings 70-1

Davis Thompson 300-1

Davis Riley 250-1

Like Davis, Kyoung-Hoon Lee got off the mark on the PGA Tour in the summer - a three-shot victory in the Byron Nelson. The 30-year-old Korean had a little period of adjustment afterwards - suddenly being thrown into Major arenas and struggling - but he got back on track with sixth place in the 3M Open at the end of July. Lee followed up with 12th spot in the BMW Championship and looks a lively Jackson contender.

Scott Stallings won this tournament in 2012 when it was called the TrueSouth Classic. That was at a different Mississippi layout, but last year Stallings showed he has got a handle on the current venue as well, finishing sixth despite arriving in poor form. The three-time PGA Tour champ, who lives across the Mississippi border in Tennessee, tees up for this edition fresh from sixth spot in the Fortinet Championship.

Complete your staking plan with two massive-price outsiders - Davis Thompson and Davis Riley. Thompson was born in neighbouring Alabama and was a superstar at the University of Georgia. He has impressed with short bursts of spectacular scoring in his few starts as a pro. This week in a low-grade event on a track which suits, the promising young gun may be able to string four rounds together.

Jackson is a home game for Mississippi native Riley and the 24-year-old can take advantage. Riley, a good friend of Justin Thomas and a housemate of Zalatoris, is a two-time Korn Ferry Tour champion who seems destined for great things. This week's soft, long layout could be ideal. He watched Thomas leading the Ryder Cup celebrations on Sunday night and it is entirely feasible that Riley qualifies for the American team at some stage in his career to join forces with his pal.

Players to note

Mito Pereira
The Chilean youngster, a three-time Korn Ferry Tour champion, finished third in the Fortinet Championship last time out. A PGA Tour breakthrough could be coming soon.

Taylor Pendrith
The Canadian powerhouse is a ball-striking colossus who should enjoy the conditions in Jackson this week. An each-way alternative to the recommendations.

Sungjae Im
The Korean was an unlucky playoff loser in this event in 2019. He has since shed his maiden tag and must come under consideration for this.

Matthew Wolff
The 2019 3M Open champion and 2020 US Open runner-up must have looked at the Ryder Cup celebrations on Sunday and wondered what might have been. He should start firing again soon.

Country Club of Jackson course guide

Course Country Club of Jackson, Jackson, Mississippi
Prize money $7m ($1.188m to the winner)
Length 7,461 yards
Par 72
Field 144
Course records- 72 holes 267 Cameron Champ (2018) 18 holes 62 Roberto Castro (2015)

Course winners taking part Nick Taylor, Peter Malnati, Cody Gribble, Ryan Armour, Sebastian Munoz, Sergio Garcia

When to bet By 1pm on Thursday

When to watch Live on Sky Sports Golf red button from 1pm on Thursday

Time difference Mississippi is six hours behind the UK and Ireland

Course type Parkland

Course overview Dick Wilson designed this course in 1962 and it was revamped by John Fought in 2008. It made its US Tour debut in 2014. The most prestigious events it had previously held were the Mississippi State Amateur and the Southern Junior Amateur. Country Club of Jackson, tree-lined and traditional, has one par-five which is comfortably reachable in two shots (the third), but the other three (the fifth, 11th and 14th) are long and relatively difficult. The 181-yard par-three fourth, the 482-yard par-four sixth, the 214-yard par-three seventh, the 479-yard par-four 16th and the 505-yard par-four 18th are the toughest assignments. Slick greens are a strength of Jackson, with the latest Champions UltraDwarf Bermuda grass making for immaculate putting surfaces, with tight lies around them. Scoring has been low, though, with the winning score between 16 and 21 under par every year.

Story of last year Sergio Garcia got back to winning ways with a vintage performance, using a brilliant approach to the final hole to beat Peter Malnati by a shot.

Weather forecast Pre-tournament storms look set to soften the track, then perfect weather with hardly any breeze is expected for the competition days.

Type of player suited to the challenge Scoring is always low and great weather is forecast, so a hot putter seems essential this week. There is clearly more than one way to skin this cat given that Ryan Armour and Cameron Champ - two hugely contrasting players - are on the Jackson honours board.

Key attribute Touch

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