"World’s a whole lot more than just about golf" - Jimmy Stanger honors late friend Harris Armstrong ahead of the 2024 Valspar Championship 

Jimmy Stanger will be playing in the Valspar Championship in honor of his childhood friend Harris Armstrong, who passed away at the age of 13.

Both Jimmy Stanger and his late friend Harris Armstrong grew up playing golf and attending the Valspar Championship, as they resided in the Tampa area. Both served as volunteers along with their families until Armstrong became ill in 2008.

Now, Jimmy Stanger has a spot in the event's field and paid tribute to his friend. The player told the PGA Tour News Service:

"I was 13 years old at the time; that’s kind of the age where you’re starting to remember things. You’re starting to realize that life is more than just you; you’re starting to be aware of other people, and I realized quickly at the time that this world’s a whole lot more than just about golf. It’s a whole lot more than just about things that make me happy, and that life can come at you fast."

"I don’t think I’d be a professional golfer today without that [Armstrong's influence] because it gave me a seriousness and a sense of purpose to everything I did. Today, I still hope that I’m playing for him … I have no doubt that Harris would still be playing golf today and had the talent level to be out here for sure. Harris has made a big impact in my life, still lives on today in my mind. I know I owe a lot to Harris."

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Who is Jimmy Stanger?

The 2024 edition of the Valspar Championship is not the first for Jimmy Stanger, as he played there in 2017 and 2018. However, on March 20, he will be playing at Innisbrook for the first time as a member of the PGA Tour.

Stanger (28) earned his membership on the premier American circuit for the 2024 season by finishing in the Top 30 of the Korn Ferry Tour points list last season. The Tampa native had been playing on the feeder tour since 2018, a year after turning pro.

On the Korn Ferry Tour, Stanger played 129 tournaments with 69 cuts passed. His best result was a victory at the 2023 Compliance Solutions Championship. He also finished in the top-10 17 times.

His debut on the PGA Tour came in the 2017 Valspar Championship when he was still an amateur. That same year, but the following season, he made his first cut at this level in the 2017 Shriners Children's Open (T41).

In 2024, he has played seven tournaments with five cuts passed. His best result so far has been finishing T3 at the Puerto Rico Open, which gave him the final ticket to The Players Championship. He finished T35 at the TPC Sawgrass.