Steve Jent, Executive Director of the Sanderson Farms Championship, spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson at the club’s January 14, 2020, meeting. He gave a history of the tournament which began in 1968 in Hattiesburg and has undergone several name changes. It is the only “big league” event held in Mississippi. Some 156 professional golfers participate annually in the event which adds an estimated $30 million to the Jackson Metro Area economy each year. The event also contributes over $1 million annually to the Mississippi Children’s Hospital which is better known as the Batson Children’s Hospital. The 2019 tournament contributed a record $1.3 million to the Friends of Batson Children’s Hospital via its affiliate Century Club Charities. A total of over $16 million has been raised for the Children’s Hospital and other charities by the tournament.
Mr. Jent encouraged Rotarians to volunteer to help with the tournament. Over 1000 volunteers are used each year and more could be used. For the past two years, the Sanderson Farms Championship has been recognized by the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) as the tournament with the best integration with its charity. The 2020 tournament will be held Sept. 28-Oct. 4, again at the Country Club of Jackson. This year, it will be a “stand-alone” event which means that there are no other PGA events at the same time as the Sanderson Farms Championship. This means that the tournament should be able to attract a larger number of “big-name” golfers.
We thank Mr. Jent for speaking to our club about this prestigious event, its impact on Mississippi, and for donations to caring for the children of Mississippi. We also thank Sanderson Farms for being the name sponsor for the event. He (center) is shown below with Rotarians Matt Monsour and Rob Whitley following his talk.
