With a field lacking in top talent, many of the PGA Tour's rank-and-file look to the Sanderson Farms Championship as a great way to make a healthy paycheck and, more importantly, to either solidify or improve their priority ranking, thus getting better playing opportunities for the 2025 FedEx Cup season.
The purse at this week's event, played at the Country Club of Jackson, is $7.6 million with $1.368 million going to the winner.
But while some of the betting favorites like Keith Mitchell are thriving, some were sent home early. The cut at the Sanderson Farms was 6 under. Here's a look at some of the big names who didn't get to that number.
Patrick Rodgers (4 under)
Patrick Rodgers of the United States plays his shot from the 16th tee during the second round of the Sanderson Farms Championship 2024 at the Country Club of Jackson on October 04, 2024, in Jackson, Mississippi. (Photo by Raj Mehta/Getty Images)
Rodgers hadn't finished outside the top 40 in his last eight starts, but he couldn't stay alive on Friday, even though he birdied his final hole of the second round.
Maverick McNealy (4 under)
Maverick McNealy of the United States plays his shot from the fifth tee during the second round of the Sanderson Farms Championship 2024 at the Country Club of Jackson on October 04, 2024, in Jackson, Mississippi. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
A second straight missed cut for McNealy was almost a certainty after an opening round 75 at Country Club of Jackson. This cut wasn't a death knell for his top 50 aspirations, but he came into the event at No. 53 and this certainly didn't help his cause.
Davis Riley (4 under)
Davis Riley of the United States plays a shot on the second hole during the first round of the Sanderson Farms Championship 2024 at the Country Club of Jackson on October 03, 2024, in Jackson, Mississippi. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
Riley won four individual state championships at Presbyterian Christian School, less than two hours away from the Sanderson, before enrolling at Alabama. He certainly was hoping for a better result in front of friends and family.
Adam Svensson (3 under)
Adam Svensson of Canada plays his shot from the 14th tee during the second round of the Sanderson Farms Championship 2024 at the Country Club of Jackson on October 04, 2024, in Jackson, Mississippi. (Photo by Raj Mehta/Getty Images)
Svensson finished the 2024 regular season with a T-7 finish at the Wyndham Championship and tied for 13th at the Procore Championship in September to open the FedEx Cup Fall. And at last year's Sanderson Farms, he tied for 16th. But all those good vibes came to a halt this weekend.
Zach Johnson (2 under)
Zach Johnson of the United States plays his shot from the 16th tee during the second round of the Sanderson Farms Championship 2024 at the Country Club of Jackson on October 04, 2024, in Jackson, Mississippi. (Photo by Raj Mehta/Getty Images)
Johnson birdied two of the first five holes during the second round, and looked like he might threaten to reach the weekend, but a pair of bogeys before the turn sealed his fate.
Matt Kuchar (2 under)
Matt Kuchar practices his swing during the Sanderson Farms Championship Pro-Am at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Miss., on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024.
With six holes to play, Kuchar was on the right side of the cutline, but he made bogey on the fourth hole (he started on the back) and then made triple on No. 6 to fall out of the running. As Kuchar battles to save his card, the back nine meltdown today could prove costly.
Harris English (even)
Harris English watches his tee shot at the 1st hole during the Sanderson Farms Championship Pro-Am at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Miss., on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024.
At a place where birdies are typically plentiful, English was stuck on a par train for much of his two days at CCJ.
Peter Malnati (even)
Peter Malnati jokes around with the golfers he's to play with during the Sanderson Farms Championship Pro-Am at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Miss., Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024.
After a productive summer, this now marks the fourth missed cut in the last six starts for Malnati.