Fresh off team-play competition at the Presidents Cup, it’s back to every man for himself on the PGA Tour. Sam Burns is the only American President Cupper in the mix at the 2022 Sanderson Farms Championship, at The Country Club of Jackson, in Jackson, Miss.
He’s also the defending champion, and the odds-on favorite in the event. According to the bookies, Sahith Theegala, who led the Sanderson through three rounds last year, has the next best chance at the title, followed by Denny McCarthy, J.T. Poston, Russell Henley and . . . you get the picture. It’s not the season’s most imposing field.
But it is an opportunity to make some savvy plays.
For that, Andy Lack is here to help. GOLF.com’s expert prognosticator has been busy crunching numbers to come up with his four top wagers for the week.
We’ve outlined them below.
As for our format, we’re keeping it the same by asking our expert prognosticator, Andy Lack, to supply us with his four favorite wagers. And because we like to track public opinion, too, we’re also including data from Chirp, a free-to-play mobile platform (and GOLF.com affiliate) that allows fans to engage with the action through a range of games. You can check out those Chirp stats at the bottom of this page.
On to the event. May the best bettor win!
ANDY LACK’S PICKS
Winner: Davis Riley (45/1)
Odds available at Bet365
Golfers are like stocks: their value swings throughout the season. I always looked to buy them when they’re underpriced. That’s why I’m going with Riley, one of the premiere talents in the field who missed the cut at the Fortinet Championship two weeks ago due to a faulty putter. Otherwise, the 25-year-old was neutral off the tee, and gained 1.5 strokes on approach. He failed to make the weekend only because he lost a combined 8.1 strokes around the green and putting. The final leaderboard can be deceiving, Riley hit the ball better than third-place finisher Taylor Montgomery! I expect Riley to bounce back in Jackson.
Despite his less-than-inspiring course history, my numbers suggest that this venue is actually an incredibly strong fit for the Alabama native. Riley ranks in the top 25 in this field in strokes gained off the tee on long courses, strokes gained approach, birdies or better gained, opportunities gained, strokes gained total in easy scoring conditions, strokes gained tee to green on Bermuda-grass courses, and par-five scoring. I expect Riley to be firmly in the mix come Sunday afternoon in Jackson.
Top 10: Thomas Detry (+550)
Odds available at FanDuel
While most fans of the PGA Tour might not yet be familiar with Detry, I expect that to change. The 29-year-old Belgian has spent most of his career on the DP World Tour, but through the Korn Ferry Finals, he has earned full status on the PGA Tour for the 2022-2023 season. Mining through Detry’s data from across the pond, it’s abundantly clear that Detry has the modern game to succeed at the highest level. The University of Illinois graduate was one of the most dominant drivers on the DP World Tour last season, and this was on full display at the Fortinet Championship, where he gained 4.8 strokes off the tee in his PGA Tour season debut. I expect Detry to thrive at the Country Club of Jackson, a driver-heavy course where bombers have experienced loads of success over the years.
