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JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Sanderson Farms Championship is moving its tournament dates for next season and increasing its purse money in hopes of attracting a better field.
The PGA Tour announced Tuesday that the tournament will have its own weekend on the schedule from Sept. 19-22 and increase its purse to $6.6 million, which is up from last year's $4.4 million. It will be the second week of the 2019-20 season, one week after The Greenbrier Classic.
The winner will also receive a full allotment of 500 FedExCup points and earn a spot in the field for the Masters.
The Sanderson Farms Championship had previously been played in late October and was on the same weekend as the World Golf Championships, which attracted many of the world's top players. The tournament has been played at the Country Club of Jackson since 2014.
Andy Pazder, the PGA Tour's chief competitions and tournaments officer, said the "stand-alone date will further elevate the tournament's stature" and that the Country Club of Jackson course, infrastructure and organization were all reasons the Sanderson Farms Championship deserved a more prominent spot on the schedule.
Sanderson Farms has signed to be the title sponsor of the tournament through 2026.
The PGA Tour recently pulled the plug on a potential event in San Francisco that would have been hosted by Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry from Sept. 19-22. Among the reasons: The event didn't have a tournament director and there were concerns that work to Lake Merced Golf Club could not be completed in time.
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