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Sanderson Farms Championship DFS picks 2022: Why I'm all-in on this big-hitting rookie

September 27, 2022
BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 17: Taylor Montgomery of the United States plays his shot from the tenth tee during the second round of the 122nd U.S. Open Championship at The Country Club on June 17, 2022 in Brookline, Massachusetts. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

We are back with a full-field, cut event on the PGA Tour schedule as we head to Jackson, Miss., for the Sanderson Farms Championship. Defending champion Sam Burns, coming off a hot Presidents Cup, headlines the field as the betting favorite and the highest-priced player in DFS.

The Country Club of Jackson features large Bermudagrass greens that will require precision on the approach shot. Once you’re on the putting surface, you’ll likely need to roll in plenty of putts as this winning score often crests 20-under par.

Here are the players who have my interest—and those who certainly don’t—this week at the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Golfers I'm Definitely Playing

Sam Burns ($10,700 DraftKings | $12,000 FanDuel)

His record might not show it, but Sam Burns might have been the best player at the Presidents Cup. The stats show that he played great himself, but his partner for most of his team matches, Scottie Scheffler, did not play well. He’s the defending champion and clearly the class of this field. The path to success around the Country Club of Jackson is approach play and putting. Over the past 100 rounds, he’s the second-best approach player and second-best putter in the field, per the RickRunGood.com golf database.

Taylor Montgomery ($9,600 DraftKings | $11,100 FanDuel)

How can you not be excited about Montgomery (lead photo)?! He rattled off four straight top-10 finishes to complete his Korn Ferry Tour season and picked up right where he left off with a solo third at the Fortinet Championship. He was elite with the putter in Napa, gaining 11.19 strokes with the flatstick. He’s a good putter, but not that good! That number will regress, but the rest of Montgomery’s game should remain on in Jackson.

Scott Stallings ($9,500 DraftKings | $10,900 FanDuel)

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Icon Sportswire

Stallings was horrendous at the Tour Championship, but don’t let that one finish distract you from the excellent season he had. His final 10 events, Tour Championship included, resulted in six top-15 finishes. His ball-striking was immaculate, gaining at least three strokes on six occasions during that stretch. He finished sixth here in 2021 and is arguably in the best form of his career.

Davis Thompson ($7,200 DraftKings | $8,800 FanDuel)

The longer I think about Thompson, the more excited I get about playing him this week. Over his past 11 events across the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour, he’s earned five top-10 finishes. His most recent is his most impressive, a T-9 at the Fortinet Championship. He gained strokes in every category that week and will look to improve on his T-35 finish from the Sanderson Farms Championship last season.

Harrison Endycott ($6,500 DraftKings | $7,200 FanDuel)

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Orlando Ramirez

The PGA Tour rookie flashed brilliance in Napa, finishing T-12. His stat line was sensational—gaining in all four major strokes-gained categories. He gained 1.24 strokes off-the-tee and added 5.24 strokes on approach. That’s the type of game that thrives on the PGA Tour.

Golfers I Might Play

JT Poston ($10,200 DraftKings | $11,200 FanDuel)

With the influx of appealing rookies, don’t forget about the savvy vets! Poston possesses the skill-set to do damage in Jackson—finding a ton of greens and rolling in putts. Poston has gained 33.25 strokes putting over his past 15 measured events. Though he missed the cut in 2021, Poston has a third-place finish in 2020 and a T-11 in 2019 at the Sanderson Farms.

Emiliano Grillo ($9,200 DraftKings | $10,700 FanDuel)

The streak continues for Grillo who has now gained strokes putting in six (!!) straight events. That’s a major accomplishment for a golfer who has routinely been one of the best putters on TOUR. His T-25 finish at the Fortinet picked up right where he left off last season, earning two runner-up finishes in his final five events. It feels like it’s just a matter of time before he wins.

Thomas Detry ($8,800 DraftKings | $9,800 FanDuel)

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Orlando Ramirez

Detry is a true global player who has played three PGA Tour events, three Korn Ferry Tour events and two DP World Tour events all over his past eight starts. He’s earned five top-15s in those eight starts, including a T-12 at the Fortinet Championship. He lost 0.61 strokes putting in Napa, his worst putting performance since May. It’s reasonable to think that he could earn an even better finish in Jackson if the putter cooperates.

Justin Lower ($7,500 DraftKings | $9,200 FanDuel)

Lower’s T-4 at the Fortinet Championship could be considered a “flash in the pan,” but that’s simply not true. His last eight events across the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour have produced four top-20 finishes, including three top 10s. He missed one cut during that stretch—it’s clear that his game is in control right now. He’s only $200 more expensive this week than he was in Napa, so the price remains reasonable.

Matti Schmid ($6,900 DraftKings | $8,500 FanDuel)

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Sean M. Haffey

Schmid has also been all over the world, playing across the PGA Tour, Korn Ferry Tour and DP World Tour all within his past three starts. No matter where he plays, Schmid seems to regularly find the center of the clubface. He’s gained strokes on approach in seven straight measured events and has only lost once in his last 11 starts worldwide. He has one big deficiency in his game, which comes around the green. Let’s be real, if he’s leaning on that aspect in Jackson this week, he wasn’t going to have a chance anyway!

Golfers I'm Fading

Keegan Bradley ($9,400 DraftKings | $11,300 FanDuel)

Bradley is notorious for being a key member of #TeamNoPutt and that remains true. He’s lost strokes with his putter in four of his past six starts. The big problem is that Bradley has also lost strokes on approach in four straight. The last time he suffered a losing streak that long was the spring of 2011, per the RickRunGood.com golf database. That’s a massive red flag that I cannot see past.

Seamus Power ($8,400 DraftKings | $11,400 FanDuel)

I’m a huge fan of Power, but I’m worried about his recent form. He stumbled to the finish line last season, missing the cut in two of his last three events while finishing 65th at the BMW Championship (field of 70). His normally great ball-striking has fallen off a cliff, and he’s been lost with the putter. He’s missed the cut in each of his last two trips to this event, so I’m going to take a “wait and see” approach on Power.

Byeong Hun An ($7,400 DraftKings | $9,700 FanDuel)

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Mike Mulholland

An contented in Napa, but he was carried by his driving distance and sharp around-the-green play. That’s the total opposite skill-set that we would expect to have success in Jackson. This course generally asks for strong second-shots and solid putting, both which have mystified An at times.

Chesson Hadley ($6,800 DraftKings | $8,100 FanDuel)

Hadley is the one of the most volatile golfers on tour, which makes him difficult to predict. You can see the trend in his tournament history—a runner-up finish in 2017 along with three missed cuts in his past five trips. More of the same recently: Two top-10 finishes in his past five with three missed cuts in the others. His path to the top of the leaderboard is not impossible, it’s just improbable.

Kramer Hickok ($6,400 DraftKings | $7,600 FanDuel)

Winning this event, actually winning it, will require a lot of made putts. Unfortunately for Hickok, he hasn’t seen many go in this year. He’s lost strokes putting in 14 of his past 17 measured events. Statistically, he’s the fourth-worst putter in this field over the last 50 rounds, per the RickRunGood.com golf database. He’s never made the cut in four trips to Jackson.

Rick Gehman, founder of RickRunGood.com and the RickRunGood YouTube Channel, is one of the industry’s leading experts on golf DFS and gambling. Gehman is co-host of the First Cut Podcast and appears regularly on the Pat Mayo Experience golf podcasts. Follow him on Twitter: @RickRunGood.