'See you next year': Sanderson Farms PGA event officials can start on 2023 planning

Jackson-area golf fans were treated to a dramatic finish to the Sanderson Farms Championship on Sunday afternoon when Mackenzie Hughes defeated Sepp Straka in the second playoff hole to claim his second PGA Tour event.

The playoff at the Country Club of Jackson was one of the highlights of the week for tournament executive director Steve Jent. This was the first tournament after Mississippi-based poultry company Sanderson Farms was purchased by Cargill and Continental Grain Co. and merged into Wayne-Sanderson Farms. Jent hosted the company's new executives throughout the championship.

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The biggest moment of the tournament came during the trophy presentation, when Wayne Farms President Clinton Rivers delivered a bit of reassurance. A sense of relief washed across Jent, and his team, as Rivers told fans that he would see them next year.

"I think what it does is tells the community we don't have to wait for everybody to guess if the tournament is going to be back next year," Jent said. "Now we can start talking with our sponsors about pro-ams, hospitality, branding and all that.

"For us, it honestly means we can get started on 2023 earlier than maybe if Clint hadn't said that on the green yesterday."

The original contract with Sanderson Farms to sponsor the tournament runs through 2026. Proceeds from the tournament help the children's hospital at University of Mississippi Medical Center, along with a variety of other charities throughout the state through a collaboration with Century Club Charities.

"You have to kind of experience a PGA Tour event before you can really understand it," Jent said. "Not just looking at it on paper. But what I've seen was Clint Rivers and his whole team in and out throughout the week here. They all had a great time.

"It was just a successful week and I think looking forward they're going to be a great group of people to work with."

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Jent and his team will take a few weeks to reassess this year's tournament before beginning to plan the 2023 edition. Still to be determined is what name will be used for the title sponsor of Mississippi's PGA Tour event.

"We haven't not talked about it at all," Jent said. "We were focused on having everybody in here this week and enjoy it. They're still in the middle of putting together two multi-billion dollar companies. That just happened over two months ago.

"I'm sure at some point in time this fall when we feel there's a need to sit down and evaluate that we will."

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Why Sanderson Farms Championship tourney officials can start 2023 planning