Pictured left to right: Governor Phil Bryant; Joe Sanderson, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Sanderson Farms; Johhny Lang, President of Century Club Charities

Mississippi company open to exploring long-term opportunity with PGA TOUR tournament

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. and LAUREL, Miss. – Sanderson Farms (NASDAQ:SAFM), one of the nation’s leading food corporations and based in Laurel, Miss., has agreed to title sponsor the PGA TOUR’s 2013 tournament at Annandale Golf Club in nearby Madison, Miss., scheduled for July 18-21. The former True South Classic has been renamed the Sanderson Farms Championship.

In making today’s announcement, the PGA TOUR, Sanderson Farms and host organization Century Club Charities said discussions regarding a possible longer-term relationship would take place following this year’s tournament.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome Sanderson Farms as title sponsor of our tournament in Mississippi, which has been a mainstay on the PGA TOUR for 45 years,” said Andy Pazder, Chief of Operations for the PGA TOUR. “We look forward to working with Sanderson Farms to meet its objectives as title sponsor in July and then begin discussions about the possibility of continuing its involvement beyond this year.”

“Mississippi is known for its hospitality and being a great host for the PGA TOUR,” said Joe Sanderson, Sanderson Farms Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. “Sanderson Farms wants to continue that tradition and be a great host for this exciting event.”

The Sanderson Farms Championship, which debuted on the PGA TOUR in 1968, has proven to have significant economic impact on the region. A study commissioned by the Mississippi Development Authority and conducted by Mississippi State University determined in 2010 that the tournament had a $22 million impact. Additionally, the tournament generated approximately $500,000 last year for local charities.

“This tournament has great economic impact on the state of Mississippi and the metro Jackson area, not to mention the tremendous good it does for charity,” said Sanderson, when asked why the company stepped in as title sponsor. “We felt this was in line with our goals and mission at Sanderson Farms to be good citizens, support our communities and positively impact the tournament’s charities.”

“We are thrilled to have Sanderson Farms involved this year, and ecstatic about the possibility of a long-term relationship,” said Century Club Charities President Johnny Lang. “Sanderson Farms is a great, multi-generational Mississippi success story and a wonderful corporate citizen. They share our commitment to the state of Mississippi, Friends of Children’s Hospital and countless charities, our other sponsors, the volunteers and the PGA TOUR to host a first-class event.”

Last year, the tournament operated with a consortium of local sponsors, which remains in place for 2013.

The Sanderson Farms Championship is one of three “additional events” that is scheduled the same week as a major championship or a World Golf Championship event. The other two are the Puerto Rico Open presented by seepuertorico.com (opposite the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship) and Reno-Tahoe Open (opposite the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational). This year, the additional events are awarding increased FedExCup points, with the winners earning 300 points, up from 250. Scott Stallings is defending champion of the Sanderson Farms Championship.

About Sanderson Farms Sanderson Farms, Inc. is engaged in the production, processing, marketing and distribution of fresh and frozen chicken and other prepared food items. With 10 plants and over 11,000+ employees nationwide, Sanderson Farms is the 3rd largest poultry producer in the U.S.
Sanderson Farms is committed to taking a fresh approach to everything it does. Not only where the products are concerned, but companywide as well. Though the company has grown in size, it still adheres to the same hometown values – honesty, integrity and innovation – that have been with it since the Sanderson family founded the company in 1947.

About Century Club Charities Century Club Charities, Inc. is a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is promoting the game of golf for the benefit of local charities. Since 1986, Century Club Charities has generated more than $7.3 million for local charities. In the past few years, Century Club Charities has donated over $1 million to local charities including $400,000 to the Friends of Children’s Hospital.
Century Club Charities has adopted the Friends of Children’s Hospital as their primary charity. Friends is a non-profit organization created to benefit the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children. Batson is Mississippi’s only hospital built specifically for the care and emergency treatment of children. Friends of Children’s Hospital ensures their patients have everything from stuffed animals to state-of-the-art medical equipment
In 2012, the True South Classic raised more than $500,000 for local charities, including $200,000 thru the Birdies For Charity program’s more than 50 participating Mississippi charities.

About PGA TOUR The PGA TOUR is the world’s premier membership organization for touring professional golfers, co-sanctioning more than 100 tournaments on the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour, Web.com Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and PGA TOUR Canada.
The PGA TOUR’s mission is to entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back, generate significant charitable and economic impact in the communities in which it plays, and provide financial opportunities for TOUR players.

Worldwide, PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to nearly 945 million households in 225 countries and territories in 32 languages. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations in order to maximize charitable giving. In 2012, tournaments across all Tours generated more than $122 million for local charitable organizations, bringing the TOUR’s all-time total of charitable contributions to more than $1.8 billion.

The PGA TOUR’s web site is PGATOUR.com, the No. 1 site in golf, and the organization is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.

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