JACKSON, Miss. — In a tournament known for its low scores the players put on quite a show Sunday at Country Club of Jackson.
Thirteen players were within two shots of the lead at one point during the final round of the 2021 Sanderson Farms Championship, and then Sam Burns made the turn and sucked all the suspense out of the trophy hunt. The 25-year-old birdied Nos. 11, 13, 14 and 15 to take a two-shot lead with three holes to play and was nails down the stretch en route to his second PGA Tour win following May’s Valspar Championship.
“I think last year having those experiences around the lead, I think those were really important for me, I learned a lot,” said Burns. “Having that under my belt today, that experience was definitely helpful and coming down the stretch I felt a lot different than I have in the past and not necessarily more confident but just in a better state of mind and thinking process was much better.”
Burns, who only missed nine greens over his four rounds, was riding the good vibes all week in his first start of the new Tour season, finishing the week at 22 under after a final-round 5-under 67, one shot clear of Nick Watney and Cameron Young. The Louisiana native and former LSU Tiger feels right at home on Mississippi’s Bermuda grass, not to mention that he made his professional debut on Tour in 2017 at the Sanderson Farms, where he finished T-43.
“Yeah, it’s definitely come full circle,” Burns said of his win here. “This is one of my favorite events on Tour, I always enjoy coming here, being close to home and for (tournament director Steve Jent) to give me that opportunity as a kid coming out of college, it was really special to me and it meant a lot to me and God willing I’ll be able to play here for the next 20 years and it will always have a special place in my heart.”
Sanderson Farms: Scores | Yardage book | Photos
The 22-under winning score is the lowest since the tournament moved to Country Club of Jackson in 2014, besting Cameron Champ’s 21-under mark in 2018, while Scott Stallings’ 24-under win in 2012 remains the tournament record.
Watney began the week with a 7-under 65 and ran the same play on Sunday to finish at 21 under to finish alongside the rookie Young, who shot four rounds in the 60s this week, culminating with his Sunday 68.
“I love being in contention, I love feeling the nerves, so it was fun today, I enjoyed it, even though it might not have looked like it, but that’s where I’m at my most comfortable is kind of in those situation, trying to make a couple birdies,” said Young. “I knew Sam was ahead of me and I had to make a couple and just didn’t, but I will another time.”
Henrik Norlander shot the low-round of the day at 8-under 64 to finish at 20 under and lead a host of players at T-4, including local talent Hayden Buckley (66), Andrew Landry (66) and Trey Mullinax (68).
Playing in the final pairing in just his second start as a card-carrying member on Tour, rookie Sahith Theegala ended a four-year streak of 54-hole leaders to convert the win at the Sanderson Farms. The undisputed men’s college player of the year in 2020 at Pepperdine shot 1-under 71 and finished at 19 under, T-8 with Si Woo Kim (66) and Seth Reeves (69).
“I played some really good golf and just a little unfortunate how that sort of that back nine is,” said Thegala, “but it’s my first one and first time really being in that position, so I’m obviously going to learn a lot and just take so many positives away and even the last few holes there I was proud of myself how I held it in there making a couple pars after I was already kind of out of contention.”
Joining Theegala last out was Cameron Tringale, who added to his dubious distinction as the player on Tour to win the most money — $14,324,818 since 2009 in 310 starts entering the week — without winning a tournament. The 34-year-old signed for a 1-under 71 on Sunday and walked off the course T-11 at 18 under with Harold Varner III (67) and C.T. Pan (68).
Will Zalatoris, who fired the low-round of the week on Friday with an 11-under 61 to set the course and tie the tournament record, finished T-14, 17 under.
After compiling a 3-1-0 record for Team Europe in a historic losing effort to the United States, 19-9, last week at the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, defending champion Sergio Garcia ran out of steam early this week. The 11-time winner on Tour missed the cut by just one shot after consecutive rounds of 2-under 70, ending an impressive streak of top performances in his first post-Ryder Cup start dating back to 2008: runner-up (2008), T-9 (2012), T-2 (2014), T-17 (2016) and first (2018).