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2021 Sanderson Farms Championship: Top 10 power rankings at Country Club of Jackson

By Mike Randleman

The Sanderson Farms Championship trophy, Reveille, watches over the 1st tee on Wednesday, September 18, 2019, at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Miss.09 18 Sfc Pro Am Wed 0008
The Sanderson Farms Championship trophy, Reveille, watches over the 1st tee on Wednesday, September 18, 2019, at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Miss.09 18 Sfc Pro Am Wed 0008 /
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Sep 26, 2021; Haven, Wisconsin, USA; Team Europe player Sergio Garcia chips up on the sixth hole during day three singles rounds for the 43rd Ryder Cup golf competition at Whistling Straits. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 26, 2021; Haven, Wisconsin, USA; Team Europe player Sergio Garcia chips up on the sixth hole during day three singles rounds for the 43rd Ryder Cup golf competition at Whistling Straits. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports /

I’m throwing a healthy amount of European yellow caution tape around this pick. On paper, it’s a slam dunk to include Sergio Garcia in the top 10.

He won the Sanderson Farms Championship last year in his first time playing Country Club of Jackson and is coming off the Ryder Cup where he was one of few bright spots on a routed European team.

Garcia fired 68-68-66-67 to hoist the big chicken trophy in 2020 and win by one over past tournament champ, Peter Malnati.

In typical fashion, led the field in strokes gained tee to green (12.044) but was 85th in SG putting (-.458). It could have been a runaway if anything rolled in.

The first thing potential Sergio backers might be concerned about this week is fatigue. Garcia is 41 years old and posted a 3-1-0 record last week at Whistling Straits. He was in vintage form, going 3-0-0 with Jon Rahm before running out of gas in a more or less meaningless singles match vs. Bryson DeChambeau.

Though Garcia was off for a couple weeks leading into the Ryder Cup, that’s still a heavy emotional and physical toll to recover from without time off.

Another worrisome topic is motivation. With a lot of time off looming for the rest of 2021, it’s possible he may not be too fired up to have to defend a golf tournament this week.

I think Garcia’s talent carries him to two or three good rounds and earns him a top-10 against a weak field. It’s not just last week where he flashed strong recent form.

The Spaniard made it to the Tour Championship where he finished T-14th in the FedEx Cup and had the 10th best gross score at East Lake. Garcia finished T-6th at the BMW Championship. Prior to a missed cut at The Northern Trust, he rattled off six straight top-25s.

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