As the Sanderson Farms Championship takes center stage this week in Jackson, we spotlight the golfers with Mississippi connections — born here, raised here, or sharpened in the state’s college programs — who have carried the Magnolia State onto golf’s biggest stage.
Pete Brown
- Hometown: Port Gibson, MS
- College: None (turned pro in 1954)
- PGA Tour Wins: 2 (1964 Waco Turner Open, 1970 San Diego Open)
- Career Highlights:
- First African American golfer to win a PGA Tour event.
- Won more than 20 events in his professional career, including state and regional championships.
- Played 17 years on the PGA Tour; later competed on the Champions Tour.
- Served as head pro at Madden Golf Course in Dayton, OH, mentoring young minority golfers.
- Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame
Chad Ramey
- Hometown: Fulton, MS
- College: Mississippi State
- PGA Tour Wins: 1 (2022 Corales Puntacana Championship)
- Career Highlights:
- Finished T-5 at the 2022 Mexico Open, his best PGA Tour finish outside his victory.
- Graduated to the Tour via the Korn Ferry Tour, where he posted 10 top-10 finishes in 2020–21.
- Regular participant in the Sanderson Farms Championship; often among the crowd favorites.
- Noted for consistency off the tee and accuracy with his irons.
Davis Riley
- Hometown: Hattiesburg, MS
- College: University of Alabama
- PGA Tour Wins: 2 (including the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge)
- Career Highlights:
- Former U.S. Junior Ryder Cup team member and top amateur prospect.
- Earned PGA Tour card after strong Korn Ferry Tour seasons.
- Contended at the 2022 Valspar Championship (playoff runner-up).
- Finished T-2 at the 2025 PGA Championship, signaling major potential.
- Known for his all-around consistency and steady temperament under pressure.
Braden Thornberry
- Hometown: Olive Branch, MS
- College: Ole Miss
- PGA Tour Wins: 0
- Career Highlights:
- 2017 NCAA Individual Champion (first in Ole Miss history).
- Won the Fred Haskins Award as college golf’s top player in 2017.
- Tied for 4th as an amateur at the 2017 FedEx St. Jude Classic.
- Represented the U.S. at the 2017 Walker Cup.
- Earned PGA Tour card in 2024 after years grinding on Korn Ferry Tour.
Jim Gallagher Jr.
- Hometown: Greenwood, MS (born in Indiana, moved to Mississippi)
- College: University of Tennessee
- PGA Tour Wins: 5
- Career Highlights:
- Winner of the 1990 Greater Milwaukee Open and 1993 Tour Championship.
- Member of the winning 1993 U.S. Ryder Cup team at The Belfry.
- Career-best year in 1993 with two PGA Tour wins and a 15th-place finish on the money list.
- Later played on the Champions Tour.
- Became a respected broadcaster and analyst for NBC/Golf Channel.
Randy Watkins
- Hometown: Jackson, MS
- College: Ole Miss
- PGA Tour Wins: 0
- Career Highlights:
- Played the PGA Tour in the 1980s after an All-SEC career at Ole Miss.
- Founded the Randy Watkins Golf Group, which owns and operates several golf clubs in Mississippi.
- Major promoter of junior golf and tournaments in the state.
- Regular figure in the Sanderson Farms Championship as an organizer and ambassador.
- Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame
Eddie Merrins
- Hometown: Meridian, MS
- College: Ole Miss (later UCLA coach)
- PGA Tour Wins: 0
- Career Highlights:
- Known as “The Little Pro,” one of the most famous teaching professionals in America.
- Longtime head professional at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles.
- Coached numerous PGA Tour and LPGA players, including Corey Pavin and members of the UCLA golf teams.
- Authored instructional books and videos that became staples in teaching the game.
- Revered as one of golf’s most influential teachers.
- Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame
Cary Middlecoff
- Hometown: Halls, TN (Ole Miss dental school ties)
- College: Ole Miss (dentistry)
- PGA Tour Wins: 40 (3 majors)
- Career Highlights:
- Winner of the 1949 U.S. Open, 1955 Masters, and 1956 U.S. Open.
- Led PGA Tour money list in 1949, 1951, and 1955.
- Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1986.
- Practiced dentistry before pursuing golf full-time.
- Later became a CBS golf broadcaster, providing analysis in the 1960s–70s.
- Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame
Hunter Logan
- Hometown: Steens, MS
- College: Mississippi State
- PGA Tour Wins: 0 (early career)
- Career Highlights:
- All-SEC standout for Mississippi State.
- Earned a sponsor’s exemption into the 2025 Sanderson Farms Championship, making his PGA Tour debut.
- Noted for strong iron play and consistency in collegiate tournaments.
Glen Day
- Hometown: Poplar Bluff, MO (Ole Miss alum)
- College: Ole Miss
- PGA Tour Wins: 1 (1999 MCI Classic)
- Career Highlights:
- Known for deliberate pace of play, nicknamed “All Day.”
- Career-best year in 1999 with a win and multiple top-10s.
- More than 40 top-10 finishes across his career.
- Later transitioned to the PGA Tour Champions, staying competitive well into his 50s.
- Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame
Paul Azinger
- Hometown: Holyoke, MA (attended Southern Miss briefly)
- College: Florida State (after Southern Miss)
- PGA Tour Wins: 12 (1 major)
- Career Highlights:
- 1993 PGA Champion at Inverness Club.
- Member of four U.S. Ryder Cup teams; served as victorious captain in 2008.
- Battled and overcame non-Hodgkin lymphoma during his career.
- Transitioned into broadcasting, serving as lead analyst for ESPN and NBC.
Will Claxton
- Hometown: Swainsboro, GA (Mississippi State alum)
- College: Mississippi State
- PGA Tour Wins: 0
- Career Highlights:
- Earned PGA Tour card in 2012; best finish T-5 at the 2012 True South Classic (the former Sanderson Farms Championship).
- Competed in 18 Tour events in 2012; career derailed by injuries.
- Later transitioned into teaching and mentoring within the game.
From Pete Brown’s barrier-breaking victory to Cary Middlecoff’s three majors, and from Jim Gallagher Jr.’s Ryder Cup heroics to Hunter Logan’s debut this week in Jackson, Mississippi’s imprint on golf is wide and meaningful. The Sanderson Farms Championship is more than just a Tour stop — it’s a celebration of the Magnolia State’s place in the sport’s history and future.
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