Having been played in 2012 without the benefit of a true title sponsor, the PGA Tour’s lone stop in the state of Mississippi has secured one in advance of this year’s event.
Formerly known as the True South Classic, the event will now be called the Sanderson Farms Championship, the Tour announced this week. The change will be in effect for this year’s tournament, which will be held opposite the British Open, July 18-21, at Annandale Golf Club in Madison, Miss.
The event was known as the Viking Classic from 2007-2011, but Viking withdrew its sponsorship following the 2011 installment. Last year’s event, won by Scott Stallings, was held without a true title sponsor and instead kept afloat by a consortium of smaller sponsors.
The title sponsorship agreement for Sanderson Farms, a poultry producer based in Laurel, Miss., is for one year, with the company retaining the option to extend the deal for three years beyond that.
‘That will be a subjective evaluation after the tournament,’ Sanderson CEO Joe Sanderson said of a possible extension, according to the Clarion-Ledger report. ‘It feels right for our employers and shareholders, and certainly right for the charities in the state. We will make that determination after the event.’