Interested In Betting On The 2024 Sanderson Farms Championship (Probably Not)? Here Are Your Best Bets

This might be the least clicked article in OutKick history. I'm sure my higher-ups will be pumped after reading this (they won't). However, the PGA TOUR is my favorite league to bet on, and I do better in these crappy events than the majors. And, make no mistake, the 2024 Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson in Mississippi is a "crappy event." 

The only golfer in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings who's in the Sanderson field is Nick Dunlap, ranked 34th. Otherwise, there's a bunch of non-winners ("losers" is too mean to say about professionals) with Korn Ferry Tour, DP World Tour, and PGA TOUR University golfers in the field. 

Speaking of "non-winners," my PGA TOUR 2024 betting performance is tragic, to put it mildly. Another stinker at the Sanderson and I'll be down 50 units (u) on TOUR this year. After losing -0.56 units (u) at the 2024 Procore Championship a few weeks ago, my PGA TOUR 2024 bankroll is -49.49u. 

Yikes. Regardless, I'm going to play through since college football and the NFL are doing comparable damage. Plus, focusing on another sport might help my NFL gambling. If not, at least I'll have another sport to sweat this weekend. 

Sanderson Farms Championship 2024 Best Bets

Picks To Win 

The odds chosen are the best available at legal U.S. sportsbooks at the time of writing, according to OddsChecker.com. 

Nick Dunlap (+2500)

The Sanderson is a birdie-fest with an average winning score of -19 since 2014, and Dunlap gets buckets. He won twice on TOUR this year: The American Express at -29 in January and the Barracuda Championship at -44 in July. Both are birdie-fests and the Barracuda is an alternate field event with Stableford scoring, which gives a golfer more points for birdies and eagles. 

Not only does he have "win equity", but Dunlap checks the boxes needed to go low in the Sanderson. The 20-year-old hammers the ball off-the-tee (18th in this field for driving distance over the last 50 rounds, per Bet The Number), putts well on Bermudagrass greens (sixth) and takes advantage of the Par-5’s (tied for second in Par 5 scoring on TOUR this season). 

My best bet to win the 2024 Sanderson Farms Championship, Nick Dunlap, holds the trophy after winning the 2024 American Express. (Photo credit: Taya Gray-USA TODAY NETWORK)

Finally, Dunlap played collegiate golf for the Alabama Crimson Tide before winning the AmEx and joining the TOUR. Hence, Dunlap is familiar with Bermudagrass greens and the Southern climate. 

BET 0.8u on Nick Dunlap (+2500) at BetMGM to profit 20u 

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Ben Griffin (+3500)

Driving isn’t important at the Country Club of Jackson, which is good for Griffin because the driver is the worst club in his bag. Yet, he can putt his a** off and can get hot with his irons. Over the last 50 rounds, Griffin leads this field on approach (APP) shots from 100-150 yards out and ranks fourth in Strokes Gained (SG): APP, per Bet The Number. 

Ben Griffin misses a putt on the final hole in Round  4 of the 2023 Sanderson Farms Championship at The Country Club of Jackson in Mississippi. (Raj Mehta/Getty Images)

Griffin has gained strokes putting in 13 of his last 18 starts with shot-link data, according to DataGolf.com. He ranks 29th in this field in SG: Putting on Bermudagrass greens over the last 50 rounds and is familiar with these types of greens as a UNC alum. Basically, Griffin plays well in this part of the country and at this time of the year. 

He tied for seventh at the 2024 Wyndham Championship in North Carolina and tied for 17th at the 2024 Valspar Championship in Florida. Last year, Griffin nearly won a FedExCup Fall event. He was T3 at the 2023 Bermuda Championship, T8 at The RSM Classic, and lost in a five-way playoff at the 2023 Sanderson. 

BET 0.4u on Ben Griffin (+3500) at FanDuel to profit 17.5u 

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Mac Meissner (+5000)

Before a missed cut in his previous start at the Procore Championship last month, Meissner was on a heater. He finished T20 or better in four of his previous five starts, including a T20 at the John Deere Classic, T16 at the ISCO Championship, fourth at the Barracuda, and T12 at the Wyndham. 

Furthermore, Meissner is second in my 50-round model at Bet The Number. Over that span, he leads the field in Birdie-or-Better rate when "Going for the Green", ranks third in Par 5 scoring, eighth in SG: Putting on Bermuda, and 14th in SG: APP. 

Mac Meissner hits an approach shot in the 3M Open 2024 at TPC Twin Cities in Minnesota. (Matt Krohn-Imagn Images)

"Going for the Green" matters on this course because the Sanderson is a birdie-fest, which requires gambling to give yourself scoring opportunities. SG: APP is the most predictive stat in golf and Meissner has gained strokes with his irons in seven straight starts, per DataGolf.com. 

Ultimately, Meissner fits the theme of my picks to win the Sanderson: Young guys who are spike putters, dialed in with their irons, and familiar with playing down South. Meissner is a 25-year-old, South Carolina native. 

BET 0.4u on Mac Meissner (+5000) at DraftKings to profit 20u 

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Finishing Position Bets 

Make placement bets at BetMGM or DraftKings. BetMGM never applies "dead heat" rules. DraftKings has top-5, -10, and -20 bets that "include ties" for the Sanderson Farms Championship 2024. 

Nick Hardy Top-20 (+300) at DraftKings: 0.5u to win 1.5u 

This is a great price for Hardy considering the weak field and his course history. Hardy has made the cut in his three starts at the Sanderson: T26 in 2021, T5 in 2022, and T35 last year. Per DataGolf.com, iron-play is the only part of Hardy's game that's working currently. He's gained strokes with his irons in 11 consecutive starts with shot-link data.

Nick Hardy celebrates sinking a putt on the 18th green during the final round of the 2021 Sanderson Farms Championship. (Chuck Cook-Imagn Images)

His putting, on the other hand, has been atrocious. Hardy ranks 126th in SG: Putting on TOUR this season and has lost strokes on the greens in seven consecutive starts. But, he's gained strokes with the flat-stick in two of his three starts in Jackson and Hardy finished T5 in the one Sanderson he lost strokes putting. 

Matt Kuchar Top-20 (+200) at DraftKings: 0.5u to win 1u 

Kuchar is the most accomplished golfer in this field. He's won nine times on TOUR, including THE PLAYERS Championship in 2012 and the Memorial Tournament in 2013. That said, I'm betting on Kuchar because he comes in with good form. In his last three starts, Kuchar has finished T3 at the 3M Open, T12 at the Wyndham, and T13 at the Procore. 

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