Jackson Suber will see familiarity all around him when makes his professional PGA Tour debut this week at the Sanderson Farms Championship.
Suber spent the previous four years playing for Ole Miss, picking up first-team All-Southeastern Conference recognition twice. He’s played at the Country Club of Jackson two or three times before, he said, thanks to connections he made during his time as a Rebel.
Now taking the course again with added stakes, he should have no shortage of support.
“It’s going to be really special to play my first Tour event in Mississippi, which has been such a big part of my golf game, being at Ole Miss and developing over the last four years as a collegiate player,” Suber said. “To have so many friends and familiar faces around and a bunch of Rebel fans will be really cool.”
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Suber will be paired with Davis Thompson when he tees off at 1:56 p.m. on Thursday — a Georgia alumnus who Suber knows from their battles in the SEC. It will mark Suber’s second PGA Tour start, after making an appearance at the Valspar Championship in March as an amateur player.
A Florida native, Suber said he always harbored a determination to play in the SEC. The competition it offers, he felt, would sharpen his skills and prepare him for the challenge he’s about to face in Jackson this week.
“That was a huge thing for me,” Suber said. “(The SEC) being the most competitive athletic conference out there. I just love the coaches and the practice facilities. I really believed in them and they believed in me, and it worked out.”
After departing Ole Miss, Suber moved on to PGA Tour Canada, making the cut six times in eight events there this season.
His most recent PGA Tour Canada appearance came during the GolfBC Championship beginning September 4, allowing him a nice cushion of rest in the leadup to Thursday’s PGA Tour debut.
At the Country Club of Jackson, Suber said he played the back nine Monday and the front nine Tuesday as he gears up. He’ll play the back nine for a second time on Wednesday in the pro-am event.
“I should be really familiar with it,” he said.
Suber indicated that, if he plays it right, the course could suit his game.
“If you hit good tee shots out here and keep it out of the rough, you can have good opportunities into the green,” he said. “The greens are quick and they’re pretty smooth. If you’re putting well, you can shoot a low number.”
Beyond the challenges posed by the course and the heightened competition level, a mental obstacle will present itself to Suber this week.
Face-to-face with one of the most significant opportunities of his career so far, Suber’s task is to remain composed and methodical.
“Just going to treat it like every other week,” he said. “Obviously, there’s a lot more reward for playing well here. It can jump-start your career a little bit more. But it’s still another week, and if I keep doing the right things I’ll have opportunities that work out down the road if this is not the one.”
David Eckert is a sports reporter for The Hattiesburg American, part of the USA Today Network. Contact him at deckert@gannett.com or on Twitter @davideckert98.
