LAUREL, Miss. and PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Sanderson Farms has expanded its commitment with the PGA TOUR through a three-year renewal with the Sanderson Farms Championship.
In addition to the extension, tournament officials and PGA TOUR announced that the Sanderson Farms Championship, held at Annandale Golf Club in Madison, Mississippi, is moving from July to late October. The date change will allow the tournament to compete at the front end of the 2014-2015 official schedule, the same week as the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in China. By doing so, it will not be contested during the 2013-2014 season. The tournament has been held the same week as The Open Championship the last three years.
Officials also said the purse is increasing by $1 million to $4 million for the 2014 event.
Joe Sanderson, Sanderson Farms' Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, spoke of the importance of the tournament's charitable impact and economic benefit to the State of Mississippi, and an increased focus on elevating that presence over the next three years.
"When we agreed to sponsor the 2013 Sanderson Farms Championship, we felt it aligned with our company's goals and mission to support our local communities and charities. We had a very positive experience this year and saw the potential to magnify the impact the tournament has," Sanderson said. "Since it was first held in 1968, this tournament has been very important to our state and the metro Jackson area in terms of the exposure, charitable giving and economic impact it has provided. That is why we made the decision to extend our sponsorship."
"We are very pleased to announce this extension with Sanderson Farms as well as the date change, which should benefit the strength and growth of the Sanderson Farms Championship," said Andy Pazder, PGA TOUR Chief of Operations. "We are excited about Sanderson Farms' commitment to upgrade the event and make an even bigger impact to charity.
"By moving to the front of the schedule, we anticipate a number of players will use this as an opportunity to get out of the gates fast and strengthen their early standing in the FedEx Cup," he added. "The overall tournament experience also should be enhanced by less volatile weather and more moderate temperatures. Plus, the players undoubtedly will enjoy playing the Champion Bermuda greens that time of the year."
The sponsorship extension will solidify and increase the Sanderson Farms Championship's support for Friends of Children's Hospital, which became its primary beneficiary in 2008. Sanderson Farms, one of the nation's leading food corporations, also plans to increase activities around the tournament, building upon this year's distinct theme relating to its business and hospitality through entertainment, signage, and even chicken tee markers, hand-painted by patients at Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children.
"We had a wonderful experience working with Sanderson Farms to create a distinctive atmosphere this year and had fun incorporating its core business into the tournament thematic," said John Lang, President of Century Club Charities, the tournament's host organization. "Sanderson Farms has been a wonderful corporate citizen over the years and shares a great vision for what our tournament can do for the area and entire state of Mississippi through its involvement. We are very excited to work with the Sanderson Farms team to expand upon our unique identity and the impact we have for Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children."
Regarding the Sanderson Farms Championship's economic importance to the state, a study commissioned by the Mississippi Development Authority and conducted by Mississippi State University determined that in 2010 the tournament had a $22 million impact.
Golf Channel will continue to televise all four rounds of the tournament. PGA TOUR veteran Woody Austin is the defending champion.
In the weeks to come, Sanderson Farms executives will continue to evaluate the 2013 tournament's success as the tournament officials continue gathering data. The Sanderson Farms Championship plans to announce the total amount raised for Friends of Children's Hospital, as well as the amount raised through the Birdies for Charity program at an event later this fall.
About Sanderson Farms
Sanderson Farms, Inc. is engaged in the production, processing, marketing and distribution of fresh and frozen chicken and other prepared food items. With 10 plants and over 11,000 employees nationwide, Sanderson Farms is the 3rd largest poultry producer in the U.S.
Sanderson Farms is committed to taking a fresh approach to everything it does. Not only where the products are concerned, but companywide as well. Though the company has grown in size, it still adheres to the same hometown values — honesty, integrity and innovation — that have been with it since the Sanderson family founded the company in 1947.
About Century Club Charities
Century Club Charities, Inc. is a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c) (3) organization whose mission is promoting the game of golf for the benefit of local charities. Since 1986, Century Club Charities has generated more than $7.3 million for local charities. Century Club Charities has adopted the Friends of Children's Hospital as their primary charity.
In 2008, Century Club Charities adopted the Friends of Children's Hospital as their primary charity, and has generated over $400,000 for the Children's Hospital in the past five years. Friends is a non-profit organization created to benefit the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children. Batson is Mississippi's only hospital built specifically for the care and emergency treatment of children. Friends of Children's Hospital ensures their patients have everything from stuffed animals to state-of-the-art medical equipment
About PGA TOUR
The PGA TOUR is the world's premier membership organization for touring professional golfers, co-sanctioning more than 100 tournaments on the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour, Web.com Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamerica and PGA TOUR Canada.
The PGA TOUR's mission is to entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back, generate significant charitable and economic impact in the communities in which it plays, and provide financial opportunities for TOUR players.
Worldwide, PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to nearly 945 million households in 225 countries and territories in 32 languages. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations in order to maximize charitable giving. In 2012, tournaments across all Tours generated more than $122 million for local charitable organizations, bringing the TOUR's all-time total of charitable contributions to more than $1.8 billion.
The PGA TOUR's web site is PGATOUR.com, the No. 1 site in golf, and the organization is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.
Source: Sanderson Farms
