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Joel Dahmen. Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

Golf best bets: 3 outright bets to target for the Sanderson Farms Championship

By Jack Dougherty | Last updated 10/3/23

The 44th Ryder Cup has come and gone, and if you're a Team USA fan (or bettor), you're glad the nightmare is finally over. Professional golf doesn't take any time off, though, as the PGA Tour returns this weekend for the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson.

Emiliano Grillo is the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 36 in the Official World Golf Ranking, and there are only nine players ranked inside the top 70 in the world. This clearly isn't a marquee event on the PGA Tour calendar, but a winning bet will count the same as any other tournament.

Here are the three outright bets I'm targeting for the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Eric Cole (+2000 DraftKings)

Ludvig Aberb is the +1100 betting favorite at the Sanderson Farms Championship, but don't be surprised if he pulled out before Thursday's tee time. Is he really going to go from celebrating a Ryder Cup victory in Rome to teeing it up in Jackson, Miss. for a $8.2 million purse a few days later? Even if he does, there's no way his A-game goes with him.

In that case, Eric Cole might be the most likely player to win this tournament, and we're getting him at 20/1 odds. Cole has been on fire with his irons, as he's gained strokes on approach in nine straight starts. He gained more than five strokes on approach at the Fortinet Championship en route to a fourth-place finish, and this golf course has a lot in common with Silverado Resort and Spa.

Cole has been knocking at the door of his first win all year. This could finally be the week.

Mark Hubbard (+5500 FanDuel)

Mark Hubbard struggles on long, tough golf courses because of his below-average length off the tee, but that won't be a problem at the Country Club of Jackson. We've seen shorter hitters such as Mackenzie Hughes, Peter Malnati and Nick Taylor win here in recent years thanks to precise iron play and a hot putter.

Hubbard ranks 16th on the PGA Tour this year in strokes gained: approach, and he's gained strokes with his irons in 13 of his last 15 starts. His putter can be hot and cold, but he gained nearly 2.5 strokes on the greens in his last start at the Sanderson Farms. Hubbard finished T5 at this course last year. He can win the title this time around.

Joel Dahmen (+20000 Caesars)

Time for a bomb.

Joel Dahmen doesn't fit the mold as a strong putter who can compete in a birdie fest. The 35-year-old ranks 180th on the PGA Tour this season in strokes gained: putting, but he did gain more than four strokes on the greens at this golf course in 2021. That was his fifth-best putting performance over the last two years.

Dahmen loves playing golf courses with Bermuda grass greens, and he finished T13 here in 2022 after a T51 finish the year before. If the trend continues, Dahmen could contend for a win in this weak field.

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