Jimmy Stanger finds inspiration from his late best friend during his return to the Valspar Championship on the PGA TOUR.

Jimmy Stanger clinched his inaugural Korn Ferry Tour victory at the Compliance Solutions Championship in Oklahoma during the previous summer. This remarkable achievement came just a week after he had to contend with tying for first position on the final hole in Wichita, only to finish poorly with an unfortunate quintuple-bogey 9 score.

Danny Walker, a Korn Ferry Tour professional and childhood friend of the individual in question, was not surprised by their remarkable level of resilience. In fact, it was expected.

“Stanger is somebody who would recover quickly from any obstacle,” stated Walker, who resided with Stanger for two years in Jacksonville. “He wouldn’t allow it to hold him back for an extended period of time.”

The victory Stanger achieved in Oklahoma allowed him to obtain his inaugural TOUR card and secure a place at the Valspar Championship this week. This event holds special significance for Stanger as it is held in his hometown, where he will participate as an official member of the TOUR for the first time. As a child, he would attend this tournament regularly and assist with various tasks such as serving as a standard bearer or helping out on the range. His fondest memory was watching players tackle Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead Course’s par-5 fifth hole that required navigating two doglegs; Rocco Mediate even asked him what golf shot types were preferred while warming up before matches, whereas Jerry Kelly expressed interest by asking thought-provoking questions about life when conversing with young enthusiasts like himself.

Growing up, Stanger’s fondest memories revolved around attending Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Rays and Lightning games as well as visiting the Valspar Championship. He is now eagerly anticipating participating in his hometown TOUR competition this week where he will have the opportunity to compete as a member of the TOUR team while being cheered on by numerous relatives, acquaintances and supporters.

There is one person who is missing.

Harris Armstrong, Stanger’s childhood best friend, passed away on December 1st, 2008 at the age of twelve due to a spinal cord tumor (astrocytoma). Their friendship was so strong that they spent time together every day from when they were six years old until thirteen. The Armstrong family moved into the same suburban Tampa neighborhood as Stanger after a few years of their bonding. They volunteered and played junior golf events alongside each other, displaying competitiveness in everything from ping-pong to hide-and-seek. Although both had different levels of success in golfing competitions over time with an even split ratio for wins-losses between them; however what impressed Strangers about Harris most often was his short game skills while playing matches against one other.player during these times!

Stanger shared that the most important lesson he learned from Armstrong, a Drive, Chip and Putt double national finalist in Golf Channel , was to rely on your senses more for short-range shots near putting greens. Stanger advises others to emulate Harris’ chipping skills as well.

Before every competitive round, Stanger places his mark of “H.A.” on his golf balls. Additionally, he has had special phrases like “Pray Strong” and “Romans 12:12”, which have been used as supportive messages for Armstrong during their fight against cancer imprinted on his wedges.In moments where he earns a birdie in the game, Stanger often points to the sky while reminiscing about cherished memories with one of his childhood best friends.

Stanger said that he owes his professional golfing career to the seriousness and sense of purpose instilled in him by Harris. He still plays with a hope to honor his memory, convinced that Harris possessed the talent necessary for success on today’s courses – if only he were alive. Stanger credits Harris with having made an enduring impact on both his mind and life.

Harris has done a lot for me, and I am aware of that debt.

Stanger recalls the early indications of Armstrong’s condition, as he struggled with making a basketball layup using his left hand despite being naturally southpaw. During one instance at the chipping area, Armstrong confided in Stanger about feeling uneasy – a moment that remains vividly etched in Stangers memory bank even today.

After Armstrong received his diagnosis, Stanger chose to dedicate his entire seventh-grade golf season to supporting him. As a symbol of this dedication, he started marking all the golf balls with Armstrong’s initials. According to an article in the Tampa Bay Times from 2007, Stanger frequently visited his friend at the hospital during this time. Despite being unable to play real-life sports due to illness or treatment side effects, Armstrong still enjoyed engaging in virtual football and tennis games using Nintendo Wii – even practicing improving his swing through these activities!

The fight that Armstrong waged garnered enough attention to attract the support of Tiger Woods and other individuals, who sent items as tokens of encouragement. Although Armstrong’s death was startling, his upbeat attitude evoked a feeling of appreciation at his funeral through various tributes paid in honor thereof.

According to Stanger, he was an incredibly happy individual; his competitive yet blissful personality meant that there was always a smile on his face. Additionally, witnessing the influence of Harris’ narrative on others and how God utilized it for good left a profound impression.

I will always remember his funeral; thousands of people were present, sharing how Harris had impacted their lives and given them hope. He made a difference in so many ways.

Birdies For Hope, the foundation established by Stanger, concentrates on constructing churches and hope centers in developing nations. To date, nine facilities have been inaugurated through this initiative. Stanger is committed to contributing $20 per birdie towards this charitable cause and leveraging his status as a pro TOUR player to spur others into making an impact globally.

On Tuesday, Stanger revealed that in many of these villages, there are no conventional charitable organizations as we have here. Instead, the buildings serve multiple purposes such as functioning as orphanages for children and hospitals while also serving schools to attend. By fulfilling these important needs within their communities, they bring forth hope among individuals who reside there,” stated Stanger.

While the golf life offers numerous benefits for professional players on the PGA TOUR, nothing surpasses returning to society through selfless actions rather than merely receiving all these privileges.

On a day when he is far behind the cut line and has only a few holes left to play, it may seem unlikely that he can make it to the weekend. However, if he knows that his contribution will help Birdies for Hope even more, this could turn things around – boosting his momentum for next week’s tournament.

Golf is a sport of tight margins. Stanger had to sink an 8-foot put on the last hole in his second round at the Cognizant Classic held in The Palm Beaches, after waiting all night for it till Saturday morning. His successful attempt qualified him and landed him T35 position during that tournament which also earned him a spot in “THE PLAYERS Championship” where he finished again with a tied T35 finish previously attained by no other player within this sport’s thin winning margin range!

At THE PLAYERS, Jimmy Stanger birdies after spinning his wedge to a distance of only 3 feet.

As his father James recalled last week, Stanger has always valued the margins where success is found. During a previous visit to Valspar, they observed Vijay Singh’s rigorous driving-range practice—an experience that might have disheartened some children when faced with the level of dedication necessary for maintaining an elite professional career—but not Stanger.

James Stanger remembered, “Singh used to hit balls incessantly and I had never seen anyone hitting so many. Even Jimmy was amazed as he said, ‘Dad, look at him! He just keeps hitting and practicing. Someday I want to do that too because it’s the secret of becoming good’.”

Stanger and Armstrong shared a deep connection in their efforts to improve. However, the situation took an abrupt turn when Armstrong passed away. Recounting this event, James Stanger disclosed to the Tampa Bay Times in 2017 that it had hit him extremely hard.

Last week, Stanger spoke with such emotion in his voice that it showed the bond remains unbreakable after nearly twenty years. This week and beyond, he always carries that bond close to him.

“When Armstrong passed away, I was 13 years old. At that age, memories start to stick and you become aware of the world around you beyond your own interests. It dawned on me quickly how much more there is to life than just golf or personal happiness – it can catch up with us in unexpected ways.” Stanger reflected solemnly.

Whether it’s a birdie or quintuple bogey, its significance is negligible in the bigger picture. However, what remains eternal is the bond between humans.