2022 Sanderson Farms Championship standings, points: Thomas Detry, Mackenzie Hughes share the lead after Round 2

Thomas Detry signed 5-under 67 for the second straight year to secure a share of the 2022 Sanderson Farms Championship lead ahead of the weekend. A PGA Tour rookie in name only, Detry sits at 10-under alongside Mackenzie Hughes, who fired a 9-under 63 on Friday to put his name back in contention.

Detry secured some status on the PGA Tour in late summer thanks to a T4 result at the Boise Open in the Korn Ferry Tour finals and has been at the center of quality golf for quite some time. His success in Idaho followed a top 10 finish at the Scottish Open and a top 5 finish at the DP World Tour’s flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship.

Since bringing his talents to the PGA Tour, Detry has had a smooth start to his rookie season despite his busy travel schedule. The 29-year-old impressed with a T12 at the Fortinet Championship and appears to be on the way to improving his efforts in Napa.

Detry, who has played in Europe for the past six seasons, has been inexplicably without a professional win since his Challenge Tour days in 2016. After experiencing a series of close encounters, perhaps the change of scenery, location and tour will allow him to finally enter the winners’ circle.

Hoping that’s not the case, some of his pursuers, including his co-leader Hughes, are hoping. Reigning Honda Classic Champion Sepp Straka also appears up for the challenge as he arrived in Jackson, Mississippi, fresh from a scorching FedEx Cup Playoff. The Austrian is alone in third place and a few shots ahead of hometown hero Davis Riley, who grabbed part of the lead in the first round and is now 7-under after a mediocre second round.

The leaders

1. Thomas Detry and Mackenzie Hughes (-10):

More than 150 starts from his lone win on the PGA Tour, Hughes is perfectly positioned at halftime to end this winless drought. The Canadian endured a mediocre 2021-22 season with just three top-10 finishes, and after missing out on the Presidents Cup in his own neighborhood in Charlotte, North Carolina, the motivation was to play well looking ahead to the year 2024 higher than ever competition in his home country.

“Yes, I watched [the Presidents Cup]. I had family in town that week so we didn’t make it, but I watched and kept an eye on the boys and tugged them hard to pull it out,” Hughes said. “It was definitely motivating. I was dying to be there and it was something I had marked on my calendar for the past year and a half. When I knew it was coming to Charlotte, I wanted to be on that team. It hurt, but that’s how it goes in this game sometimes. I will work hard to be part of this team in Montreal in two years.”

Other contenders

3. Sepp Straka (-9)

T4. Mark Hubbard, Garrick Higgo, Scott Stallings (-8)

T7. Davis Riley, Nick Hardy, Stephan Jaeger (-7)

Riley from Mississippi is still in the tournament after 36 holes. After taking part of the first round lead with a 6-under 66, Riley faltered with a 1-under 71 on Friday. “The local boy got the job done despite the big stick. Riley is more than capable of wielding this racquet effectively, if he’s able to rectify the mistakes of the first two days of the weekend, Riley has a real shot at clinching his first win on the PGA Tour in his own backyard gain

“It would mean the world to win this golf tournament,” said Riley. “But like I said (Thursday), there is still a lot to do. Yes, the game is at a good point. I didn’t hit as well and didn’t do things as well as (Thursday) but I’m still doing a lot of things well. I just need to make a tweak or two here or there and get ready to go again (Saturday).

Grillo hot contender for the reaction of the season

After just six rounds into the 2022-23 season, Emiliano Grillo may already have the best reaction to every shot this season. The Argentine, who channeled his inner Hideki Matsuyama or even Mark Hubbard at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, was disgusted with his tee shot on the par-3 13th.

Instead of the casual racquet drop, Grillo took it a step further and threw his racquet into the tall grass, only for his ball to land 11 feet from the pin. While his birdie efforts ultimately slipped by, Grillo signed for a bogey-free 7-under-65 and sits four shots from the lead.

Is it too early to look ahead to the 2023 Ryder Cup?

My colleague at CBS Sports, Kyle Porter, has first-round leader Riley as potential future Ryder Cup entrant and I can’t help but look to Rome next fall. Rather than talking about the US side, it’s the back end of the European team that I find extremely intriguing that could make or break their efforts to reclaim the trophy.

Both Detry and Straka should have a realistic opportunity to earn a selection from Captain Luke Donald if they continue to play this way for the foreseeable future. While the Europeans don’t give much thought to going into the weekend in Jackson with a chance of winning, I’m sure Donald is making notes somewhere.

2022 Sanderson Farms Championship updated odds and tips

• Thomas Detry: 9/2
• Mackenzie Hughes: 7-1
• Sepp Straka: 7-1
• Scott Stallings: 17/2
• Davis-Riley: 12-1
• Mark Hubbard: 16-1
• Sam Burns: 18-1
• Nick Hardy: 22-1
• Garrick Higgo: 22-1
• Emiliano Grillo: 28-1
• Stephan Jaeger: 28-1

The easy pick is Burns, who is at 5 under and just five shots behind despite losing more than two shots on the greens in the first two rounds. Runner-up in strokes won from tee to green says a putter like Burns should be able to figure things out in the future.

Personally, I love Straka’s chances of earning his second trophy in less than a year, but the number is a little short for my liking. If you’re not interested in either Straka or Burns, rookie Taylor Montgomery (-4) at 60-1 is a viable option.