The Sanderson Farms Championship is officially underway, and the first round was filled with birdies. With a projected cutline of 3 or 4-under, those golfers who started slowly will need strong showings in Round 2 to avoid a missed cut.

That said, there are four golfers tied for the lead at 7-under (Eric Cole, Sam Ryder, Garrick Higgo and Danny Walker) and a total of 12 golfers who are 5-under or better.

After a 7-under 65, Garrick Higgo is the in-tournament favorite at +700. A win this week would be the South African’s second this year (Corales Puntacana Championship) and third of his career. Higgo gained +1.85 strokes off the tee and was hot with the putter, gaining another +2.27 strokes on the green.

Updated odds to win Sanderson Farms Championship (via FanDuel Sportsbook)

• +700: Garrick Higgo
• +1000: Michael Thorbjornsen
• +1200: Kevin Yu
• +1400: Eric Cole
• +1800: Max Homa, Sam Ryder
• +2200: Vince Whaley
• +2500: J.T. Poston, Danny Walker, Rico Hoey

While Higgo is the current favorite this week, there’s a better bet just a little bit further down the board that has my attention.

Michael Thorbjornsen (+1000) to win

I was high on Michael Thorbjorsen coming into this week. Now just two back and at +1000, he becomes the man to beat.

Thorbjornsen finished the round 5-under while gaining +4.40 strokes on approach. He gained a total of +5.04 ball-striking, one of the highest tallies in the field. Thorbjornsen also finished birdie-birdie to head into the clubhouse with a bit of momentum to bring into Friday afternoon’s tee time.

Even with Thorbjornsen being in a share fifth place, there’s still room for improvement in his game. He lost -0.71 strokes putting and another -0.90 Around-the-Green. On No. 15, he three-putted from eight feet away, and on No. 6, he left his pitch short of the green, resulting in a bogey.

Those are fixable mistakes. He’s striking the ball well and should have a ton of confidence playing on this course. Look for him to make some noise these next three days and have a chance to win come Sunday.

Another bet I’d like to advocate for is Kevin Yu to finish inside the Top 10 at +115. Like Thorbjornsen, he shot a 5-under-67. The defending champion looked smooth out there and was able to have a bogey-free round.

Yu was locked in off the tee. He hit 11 of 14 fairways and gained +1.92 strokes. He was also dialed in with his irons, hitting 16 of 18 greens in regulation, gaining him +2.47 strokes on approach. His +4.39 strokes gained ball striking was the second highest in the field, only behind Thorbjornsen.

However, with how well the round went for Yu, it felt as if he left a few strokes out there. Of the golfers, T5 or better, he lost the most strokes on putting. His -1.46 SG: Putting tally was the worst by over 0.71 strokes.

Last year, when he won this event, he gained a total of +8.68 strokes on putting, and he gained no less than +1.99 strokes on the putting surface in any of the rounds.

It’s remarkable that he’s shot a 67 and is only two strokes back while losing nearly a stroke and a half to the field putting. Last year, he proved that he could putt out here. I expect him to rebound on the greens and once again be in contention in Jackson.

For resources to overcome a gambling problem, call or text 1-800-522-4700 today.