After the high-octane action at Bethpage, the PGA Tour will continue the FedEx Cup Fall season in Jackson, Mississippi. With none of the Team U.S. Ryder Cup players on the field, this gives a great opportunity for others to grab big wins at The Country Club of Jackson. They will be playing the second event of the fall season, the 2025 Sanderson Farms Championship, for a whopping $6 million purse.

Last year, the tournament saw Kevin Yu win the first PGA Tour title of his career. This year, he will be coming back to defend the championship. But who will be his toughest opponents on the field? Let’s look at the strongest players in the 2025 Sanderson Farms Championship 2025.

Akshay Bhatia

There were very few players who could have beaten Rory McIlroy at TPC Sawgrass in 2025, considering the form he was in. But Akshay Bhatia was one of those who came close as he finished at T3, two strokes behind the Irishman. Overall, the 23-year-old has had a great year as he has come close to competing for titles a few times. He has been quite consistent and pushed hard to get a win for the third season in a row.

With very few strong players on the field, this will be Bhatia’s best opportunity to bank on his form and convert it into his third PGA Tour victory. However, he will certainly need to perform better than he has in this tournament in the past. In his two attempts in the Sanderson Farms Championship, Akshay Bhatia has missed the cut once and finished at T43 in 2023. Hopefully, he can overcome that record and grab a victory in Mississippi this time around.

Rasmus Hojgaard

After winning the 2025 Ryder Cup, Rasmus Hojgaard must be on cloud 9. The Danish pro has been busy celebrating with the rest of Team Europe for the past few days after triumphing in New York. But the fact is, he was the least-used player by the team at Bethpage. He also comes off 2 losses in the tournament. But that doesn’t necessarily mean Hojgaard is out of form.

Just a few weeks ago, he finished second in the Omega European Masters after an emphatic comeback on Sunday. Rasmus scored 8-under 62 to jump up on the leaderboard and nearly grab the title from the eventual winner. If he can pull off something similar in Jackson, then that might even get him the 2025 Sanderson Farms Championship. But one thing is certain, Rasmus Hojgaard would be hungry for a win as it will be his first PGA Tour title. So it won’t come as a surprise if he takes the confidence from the victory at Bethpage and defeats a bunch of other Americans this Sunday.

Min Woo Lee

That victory against Scottie Scheffler in the 2025 Texas Children’s Houston Open has opened the doors of possibilities for Min Woo Lee. He always had the potential to win titles, but beating the world #1 in such a tremendous fashion showed that he can also do it in style. And as far as his recent form goes, Lee has also come off two great runs on the DP World Tour. He finished T11 in the BMW PGA Championship and got a T5 in the FedEx Open de France. This will be his debut in the Sanderson Farms Championship, but considering his form, Min Woo Lee can certainly pull off another big win in Jackson this week.

Thriston Lawrence

Just a few weeks ago, Thriston Lawrence beat Rasmus Hojgaard, Matt Fitzpatrick, and others in Switzerland to capture the Omega European Masters 2025. That was the fifth DP World Tour title of his career and the first of the season. On the PGA Tour, the South African pro hasn’t had a particularly great season. But he still managed to finish solo eighth in the 2025 Rocket Classic.

Just like Hojgaard, Thriston Lawrence is also looking to grab his first PGA Tour title win of his career. Having only officially joined the Tour in 2025, he could make a statement by winning it in his rookie season itself. And looking at the field in Mississippi, he probably won’t get a better opportunity than this. So there is no doubt that he will be grabbing it with both hands.

Sam Stevens

It’s true that Scottie Scheffler ran away with the CJ Cup Byron Nelson 2025. But beyond his emphatic performance, Sam Stevens also enjoyed a great run in the event as he finished solo third with a 20-under par. Interestingly, that was not even the best result he has produced in 2025. The 29-year-old has been able to achieve two runner-up finishes this season in the Farmers Insurance Open and the 3M Open.

However, Stevens still hasn’t won a title since becoming an official member of the PGA Tour in 2023. With no Scheffler on the field to take a huge lead on the board, this will be a great opportunity for him to go for his first PGA Tour title. And after two 2nd places and one third place, it’s about time for Sam Stevens to finally get a victory on the Tour.