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Raymond James Stanger, a 28-year-old PGA Tour rookie, has yet to win on the tour but has an intriguing past including his odd name and ties to Tampa, Florida. His performance at the Valspar Championship suggests he's in good form, having grown up attending and volunteering at the event.
He has five top-40 finishes, including a T14 at the American Express, a T3 at the Puerto Rico Open, and a T35 last week at THE PLAYERS Championship.
However, Stanger's motivation extends beyond personal success. He's playing in memory of his childhood friend, Harris Armstrong, a golfer and two-time runner-up in the Golf Channel's Drive, Chip, and Putt National Finals, who died at the age of 12 from spinal cord cancer. He even signs each of his golf balls with the letters "H.A." and credits his best friend Armstrong for being a huge reason why he is playing pro golf today along with his parents' efforts.
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Jimmy Stanger On and Off The Golf Course
Jimmy Stanger's narrative exemplifies the tenacity and determination necessary in professional golf, focusing emphasis on the struggles and achievements that aspiring sportsmen encounter.
Stanger’s Equipments
- Stanger opted for Titleist’s TSi3 driver model earlier but now has switched to the more forgiving TSR2 model.
- He alternates between a TSR2 7-wood and a T200 3-iron based on the course and weather circumstances. When it's windy he prefers the lower-flying 3-iron. He uses the 7-wood when the course is softer and longer, or when the conditions are calmer.
- Stanger's setup includes four Titleist Vokey SM10 wedges (46, 50 bent to 51, 56, and 60 degrees), but he also treats his lob wedge differently from the others. Stanger replaces the 60-degree wedge's head regularly to keep the grooves fresh and offer the necessary grip.
- Stanger likes to have his 46, 50, and 56-degree wedges worn in to prevent spin on full strokes. Although intentionally reducing spin on wedge shots may seem counterintuitive, Stanger has his reasons that when the ball hits the green it's going to zip backward which makes the spin rate get a little too high and going to throw off my distance.
- Stanger often utilizes a putter with only 2 degrees of loft, since he keeps his hands slightly behind the putter head at address. Stanger just received a putter with a standard loft of 3.5 degrees which allows Stanger to launch the ball higher and retain it on top of the grass when playing on somewhat slower greens with longer grass. More height on the ball's initial launch helps it roll quicker instead of jumping offline.
Beyond The Golf Course
Despite the lack of wins, Stanger's path from collegiate success to the PGA Tour exemplifies resilience and perseverance, with major ups and downs along the way. Beyond golf, his charity work with "Birdies for Hope," which raises funds to build churches and hope centers in third-world nations. Since its founding in 2019, Birdies for Hope has raised around $150,000.
