Mississippi News
If you like long shots, boy oh boy, there’s one named Furr at CCJ
If you like long shots, boy oh boy, there's one named Furr at CCJ
No doubt, sweet-swinging Sam Burns is the clear-cut favorite in this week's Sanderson Farms Championship at Country Club of Jackson. Burns is by far the best player in the field, No. 12 in the world rankings. He won more than $7 million last season and won three tournaments. What's more, Burns won here a year ago.
The 26-year-old Shreveport native goes off at 11-to-1 odds to win Mississippi's only PGA Tour tournament. Sepp Straka at No. 36 is the next highest ranked player at CCJ. J.T. Poston, at 16-to-1, is the No. 2 betting favorite.
But if you're feeling frisky and want risk a little to hit a huge jackpot, boy, have I got a deal for you.
Jackson's own Wilson Furr goes off Thursday morning at 500-to-1 odds. In other words, you can bet $10 to win $5,000. You can bet a Benjamin ($100) and win 50 grand.
I mentioned that to Furr Wednesday afternoon as he took a break from practicing on the CCJ putting green. He smiled. “I'll tell you what, that's the best 500-to-1 odds you're ever gonna get,” Furr said.
You could tell he really meant it.
The Vegas odds are 100-to-1 against Furr finishing in the top 5. The odds are 25-to-1 against him finishing in the top 10.
Sucker bets, you say?
Hear me out. The first time I ever followed Furr around the pristine fairways of CCJ was in July of 2015. He was 16 and competing in the 100th Mississippi State Amateur Championship. He shot 14-under par for 72 holes and won by eight. He was like golf's version of Secretariat at the Belmont Stakes, all alone at the end. If Furr didn't break a leg, he was going to win. He was driving the ball 50 yards past his competitors. His wedges were dialed in, and he rarely needed more than wedge to reach a par-4 green. He won going away.
My guess back then was that Furr would be playing – and winning – on the PGA Tour in 2022, if not before. He had won the Future Masters at 14. Every college golf team around was recruiting him. He was a prodigy.
Belden's Hayden Buckley, who tied for second in that 2015 State Am, won $1.3 million on the Tour last season. Furr's Alabama teammate, Davis Riley of Hattiesburg, has already won $3 million on tour. Furr hasn't earned his PGA Tour privileges yet.
“Golf can humble you,” Furr said, and he knows that all too well. Over the last few years, he has been humbled more than once. His golf career has taken some detours.
After finishing his college career, Furr failed in the second round of PGA Tour qualifying last year. He earned a spot on the Canadian (MacKenzie) Tour this summer but started slowly there. He did play well and had top 25 finishes in the last two events of the summer, shooting a combined 30-under par for those two 72-hole events.
Then Furr went to Mobile last weekend for the first round of Tour qualifying. He advanced with ease, shooting 19-under par for 72 holes at Magnolia Groves Crossing, a tough Robert Trent Jones course. That's 49-under par for his last three 72-hole events, if we are keeping score. And, in golf, we always are.
Furr left Mobile Friday afternoon headed for a friend's wedding in Tampa, Fla., when his cell phone rang and Sanderson Farms Championship director Steve Jent was on the other end of the line. Jent told Furr he was being awarded a sponsor's exemption into the Sanderson Farms Championship field.
“Man, I couldn't have been happier,” Furr said. “First I played really well and qualified for the next phase and then I get that call. I was pumped.”
He drove on to Tampa for the wedding, then flew back to Jackson on Sunday for three days of preparation for the tournament.
“I am just sp happy to be here, to get this chance,” Furr said.
Does he believe he can win?
“Yeah, I really do,” he said. “I am comfortable here. I am really playing well. I really believe I belong out here.”
He plays off the first tee Thursday morning at 10:01 a.m. with a chance to prove to everyone what he says he knows about himself.
If Furr were to finish in the top 10, he would earn a berth in next week's Shriner's Children's Open at Las Vegas. He is two weeks away from the second round of Tour qualifying at Valdosta, Ga.
Of course, if Furr were to win here, he wouldn't even have to go to Valdosta. The odds are 500-to-1 against it. Crazy as it sounds, Furr likes his chances.
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Mississippi News
Monroe County leaders take to streets for good cause
SUMMARY: Members of Monroe County's law enforcement and Aberdeen city leaders participated in the Special Olympics Mississippi Torch Run, a fundraiser for the Special Olympics. Officers from the Aberdeen Police Department and Monroe County Sheriff's Office, along with the new Mayor of Aberdeen and Police Chief, escorted the torch through town. The torch will be escorted by law enforcement agencies across the state until it reaches Biloxi for the Special Olympics Summer Games. This event is a grassroots effort to support the Special Olympics and promote awareness for the cause. Follow for more updates on Facebook.
The post Monroe County leaders take to streets for good cause appeared first on www.wcbi.com
Mississippi News
Jackson couple claims they’ve been harassed by motorcycle group
SUMMARY: A Jackson couple has been enduring harassment and noise from a motorcycle club for the past year, with the club's loud activities causing distress for the couple. The club, Outcast Motorcycle Club, has defended their actions, stating that they can't help the noise from their motorcycles. The couple, particularly concerned about the health of the wife, has contacted the police multiple times for assistance. Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade has stated that if the club is found to be a nuisance, they may take action to shut it down. The club, with a permit to operate at the location, may have to consider relocating if the situation worsens.
The post Jackson couple claims they've been harassed by motorcycle group appeared first on www.wjtv.com
Mississippi News
PERS bill awaits Mississippi governor’s signature
SUMMARY: Mississippi towns and cities are relieved after lawmakers reached a deal in the final days of the Legislative Session to address the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS). The bill, awaiting Governor Tate Reeves' signature, removes power from the PERS Board and requires any employer contribution increase to be recommended to the Legislature. The bill also stops an immediate 5% employer contribution increase, instead implementing a gradual half a percentage point increase over five years. Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker, president of the Mississippi Municipal League, sees this as the first step in an ongoing issue, with $110 million allocated to PERS by the Legislature.
The post PERS bill awaits Mississippi governor's signature appeared first on www.wjtv.com
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