The state’s only PGA Tour event, the Sanderson Farms Championship, will return to the Country Club of Jackson Sept. 29-Oct. 5.
It will feature l,132 golfers competing for a total purse of $6 million with the winner’s share of $1,080,000 and the opportunity to hoist the coveted Malcolm DeMille crafted rooster trophy named “Reveille” overhead.
That trophy resides at the Jackson Country Club, and the winner receives a smaller sized replica of it to keep.
The championship raises funds for Children’s of Mississippi and other charities in the state, showcases the state on a national level and brings top golfers to Jackson where their stays benefit metro area restaurants and motels and hotels.
The nonprofit Century Club Charities hosts the championship and takes over the use of the entire country club during the tournament.
“The Century Club leases the property for eight days,” said Steve Jent, executive director of the championship. “It is shut down to members. If members want to attend, they must buy a badge.”
Country club employees play a role in the championship’s success by providing food and beverage service for events, acting as locker room attendants and helping with the volunteer center. “The country club’s chef and people do a great job for us,” Jent said.
Attention to details ensures the championship goes as planned.
“We’re making sure that all the i’s are dotted and the t’s crossed,” Jent said.
“I want everybody who comes out to have a good time.”
The 2024 Sanderson Farms Championship had $1,750,000 charitable impact that benefited Children’s of Mississippi and many other Mississippi charities. Since 1968, more than $26.25 million has been contributed to charitable organizations in Mississippi.
Planning for the upcoming championship got under way soon after the 2024 tournament ended.
“It’s a year-round process,” Jent said. “We’re looking at things we’d love to change for next year even though we haven’t had this year’s tournament.”
Expected to draw as many as 30,000 individual visits by spectators, the tournament takes an army of people to produce. “It’s a combination of a lot of people,” he said.
Contributing their efforts to the event will be about 1,000 volunteers, about 50 people from the PGA including officials and security personnel, 100 Golf Channel employees, concession employees, construction workers who build the structures on the course and the employees of the country club.
Stanley Reedy, long-time golf course superintendent at the country club, and his crew ensures the greens are ready for play.
“The PGA Tour has a group of agronomists that work with Stanley,” Jent said. “That’s a year-round process. They go over things like mowing patterns, irrigation and fertilization. The greens look great.”
Transforming the country club site into a PGA Tour location takes about two months.
Employees of the company that builds the grandstands, skyboxes and hospitality tents and puts fencing and signage in place began work in August, Jent said. “Everything you see when you come out is temporary structures,” he said.
The goal is to have all the structures finished the Wednesday before the championship opens. “We want three or four days so we can tweak things,” he said.
Special events at the country club this year will include the Cryovac Pro-Am on Sept. 29; the Women’s Day Luncheon featuring best-selling author and food personality Elizabeth Heiskell on Sept. 30; the Lyle Machinery Pro-Am on Oct. 1; and a sponsor party presented by Trustmark on Oct. 2.
The week of the tournament Jent will be on site most days by 4:30 a.m., greeting players, giving media interviews and checking preparations. Some nights, he won’t leave until 11 p.m., but he’s Ok with that.
“It’s what we work for all year long,” Jent said. “Every day I feel like I own a small or medium size business. I have a budget I work with. I’m working with sales, finance and operations issues. Every day I have a business to run but instead of profits I’m trying to maximize charitable dollars.”
Last year, Century Club Charities donated $1 million to Friends of Children’s Hospital from the proceeds of the 2024 championship. Since 2013, the tournament has donated more than $12 million to the children’s hospital.
Sanderson Farms, Inc., now Wayne-Sanderson Farms, became the title sponsor in 2013, and the 2025 tournament is its last as the title sponsor, Jent said.
“We’re looking for a replacement title sponsor,” he said. “We’re talking to a lot of different people about it.”
Jent, who is in his twelfth year as tournament director, said it’s still a thrill to see the players compete and the winner crowned on the 18th hole. But it’s also thrilling to make a check presentation at Children’s Hospital of the proceeds from the tournament.
Jent advises spectators to wear comfortable clothing and shoes and to bring an umbrella and sunscreen.
Championship tickets may be purchased at ticketmaster.com. General admission parking is at Northpark. Buses will shuttle spectators to the country club.
Details regarding security screening, cell phone usage, prohibited items and purse size can be found online at sandersonfarmschampionship.com. The event is a cashless event, with only debit and credit cards accepted for the purchase of food and drink and championship merchandise.
