April 2025 Update, Return from Injury

April 2025 Update

"Champions don't do extraordinary things. They do ordinary things better than anyone else." Hall of Fame and Superbowl winning coach, Tony Dungy. 

In April 2024, I was coming off a strong start to my rookie year on the PGA Tour. I had multiple top 20's including a 3rd at the Puerto Rico Open, played the weekend at the Players Championship, and felt ready to make a run at the Majors. The problem was that I started to feel stabbing pain in my right elbow. At the time I was sure it would go away on its own. By the Colonial tournament in early May, I could not put a tee in the ground, nor swing, without this pain. Therefore, I began my PGA Tour medical. Life comes at you fast. 

Somehow, we are already into April 2025. Many of you have been asking what I have been doing in the meantime. The honest answer is practicing a lot of patience and focusing on what I can control. I.e. lots of daily tedious rehab, putting, chipping and adjusting to newly married life. No one wants to be back more than me. Fortunately, I see light at the end of the tunnel. I hope to play some Korn Ferry Events this spring and summer, then return to the PGA Tour this fall. I have 12 guaranteed PGA Tour events that I must use between the 2025 and 2026 seasons. In the meantime, I am focused on doing the ordinary things extraordinarily well. 

Elbow Rehab

Tennis elbow and Golfer's elbow are common terms for elbow tendonitis in different parts of the elbow. Tendonitis is simply inflammation of the tendons connecting the muscle to the joint that often comes through repetitive stress. Commonly, doctors recommend that you avoid the activity that caused the injury for 6-12 weeks and will give you a cortisone shot for the pain. The problem is there is no quick fix if the pain persists past this. Plus, cortisone comes with the potential long term side effect of rupturing the tendon. Many people who do a cortisone shot might feel pain the moment they return to the activity. This was my situation. In 2024, each time I tried to return, I would feel either a sharp pinching pain on the outside of my elbow or a long-lasting dull ache on the inside of it. 

After trying various methods of rehab, in November I found Sophie Bergeron of SLB Performance in Jacksonville, FL. She works with other professional athletes and suggested I try higher resistance training. We would lift heavier weights with lower reps. I would then progress slowly into hitting golf balls, increasing the ball count weekly but gradually. She also noticed limitations in my neck and shoulder that would send the stress of the golf swing directly to my elbow. Slowly but surely, the chronic aching pain has melted away along with the stabbing pain. For months, I could only hit fades. Only in the last few weeks have I been able to hit my favorite high draw. 

I also found diet to be a big factor. Processed sugar and processed foods inflame the body more than I ever knew. While I eat a healthy diet for the last decade, I would enjoy ice cream every now and then, along with protein shakes and bars daily. I didn't realize this protein itself is highly processed and inflammatory. Again, it took time to see effects, but even cutting these foods out of my diet made a difference. My elbow aches less. After a detox, if I had sugar or processed foods, my elbow would ache for days after. It often feels strange to turn down a social dessert or homemade baking treat because "my elbow hurts" but that is exactly the case. To be the 1%, diet matters. 

Golf Rehab

Finally, as the elbow pain began to subside in January, I have worked hard to get my golf game back to elite levels. I took nearly 7 months off the game I love. For many of you, that is simply wintertime but for me, it's the most I have taken in my lifetime. For the past few months, I have seen significant progress. It is easy to get back to the point where I can be professionally competitive, but to climb that last 1% requires all the focus and time I have. 

My coach, John Scott Rattan, has been a great help. We have used this time to solidify some swing changes and develop new shots. We changed golf balls to add some spin and hopefully control and worked to get my body to the point where it takes the load off my joints. I have played many world class rounds in the past month or so. However, the inconsistency will take time to eliminate.  

Today, I feel closer to full strength than anytime since before the injury, although I still have some ways to go. I feel comfortable playing daily at home in Jacksonville. While I have the occasional flare up, I believe we know how to control it. Now, I need to test it in tournament conditions, on firmer ground, with different grasses and under pressure. Can it last not just one week, but 2 or 3 in a row? How does it respond to the punch draw, or the thick rough? This is all part of the journey, but I am excited to get out and find out. 

After this much time off, I have learned a greater appreciation for the game, for being outside, and my innate desire to compete at everything I do. I realize greatness comes from doing ordinary things extraordinarily well. 

Thank you all for your kindness, your concern, and your support over the past year. It has meant a lot to me. I want nothing more than to be competing and contending on the PGA tour. I want to make proud so many of you who have invested your time, energy and support in me over the years. 

BirdiesforHope

One more thing before I close: Many of you may know that I started a small side project called "BirdiesforHope" in 2020. For each birdie I make in a PGA Tour or Korn Ferry Tour sanctioned event, I donate $10 to help build church buildings in 3rd world countries around the world. So many of you have partnered with me, donating anything from $1 to $50 per birdie. Over the past 5 years, we have helped build 10 buildings, and I am pleased to announce our newest project, The Templo Misionero Pueblo Nuevo Church in Panama. As I begin competing again, I will be providing more information about BirdiesforHope and what we are doing. Please visit JimmyStanger.com or my instagram Page for more updates. 

If you are interested in either sponsoring me, or donating to BirdiesforHope, simply email me anytime. 

Thank you again, and Happy April! 

Sincerely,

Jimmy Stanger