LPGA: Angela Stanford Taking a Little Time Off

Not all the girls are packing their bags and their clubs and heading for Bejing and the

Reignwood LPGA Classic

this week.  Rolex ranked #16

Angela Stanford

is staying home and recharging her batteries.

Following her 6th place finish at The Evian Championship, Stanford started her recharge by hosting her annual charity tournament, “Let Your Light Shine.”   The unique 9-holes in daylight – 9-holes after dark tournament, using glow-in-the-dark balls for the 2nd 9, raised more than $100,000 for The Angela Stanford Foundation scholarship fund, The First Tee of Fort Worth, and the Leena Pope Home, a Fort Worth nonprofit that serves children and strengthens family systems.

Now she’s going to spend some time enjoying college football and working on her game.  Stanford’s following Juli Inkster’s advice and polishing her effective short game.  That’s Inkster’s key to career longevity and Stanford intends to make it hers as well.  She’ll rejoin the LPGA Tour for the CME Group Titleholders at the end of November.

The 36-year old Texan turned pro in 2000, the year she graduated from Texas Christian University, and joined the LPGA Tour in 2001.  Over the course of her 13-year career Stanford has collected 5 victories and 74 top-10 finishes.  She’s played for Team USA in Solheim Cup 5 times, in 2003, 2007, 2009, 2011, & 2013.

Stanford’s had a fine 2013 season.  Over the past 7 months she’s played in 20 events, earned top-10 finishes at the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup in February, the LPGA Lotte Championship in April, the Kingsmill Championship in May, the US Women’s Open in June, the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic and the Marathon Classic, both in July, and The Evian Championship in August.  She’s shot 277 sub-par holes and she’s #9 on the LPGA money list.

Reflecting on her long-range career goals, Stanford recently told Golf Digest she’s “excited about the next four to five years because I feel like I’m in my prime. I have yet to win a major, so that is first and foremost in my mind. My plan is to play in two more Solheim Cups and the Olympics, and by then I’m almost 40 and probably done.”  Juli Inkster probably wouldn’t agree with Stanford’s take on 40 as the end-point in a pro golf career, and I don’t either.