Justin Timberlake may have left Sin City's PGA Tour stop after having his name on the tournament for five years, but the singer-actor is in talks to have some kind of involvement with his hometown stop in Memphis.
Timberlake is in "preliminary" discussions to attach himself to the FedEx St. Jude Classic.
"He is passionate about golf and he is so passionate about this community," said Jack Sammons, general chairman of the tournament, according to report in the Memphis Commercial-Appeal. "We'd love to have him in any role that he sees fit."
Timberlake's name would most likely not be attached to the long-standing Memphis-area event, whose place on the PGA Tour schedule has become the week ahead of the U.S. Open. Perhaps he could still serve as host of the tournament.
Memphis is home for Timberlake, and he has golf roots in the town, owning the eco-friendly Mirimichi not too far out of the city center.
The entertainer's relationship with the PGA Tour stop in Las Vegas ended last year. The tournament donned his name, the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, and Timberlake played in the event's pro-am and buoyed the week with a concert in town. However, the relationship ended on a sour note last October.
"Justin's a wonderful person," tournament chair Raoul Frevel said to the Las Vegas Review. "But we tried everything we could to get him more involved with our kids and the hospitals. But it seemed that when the TV cameras weren't on, he disappeared."
However, the Memphis folks seem excited about the prospect of Timberlake being involved in any capacity.
"It's very preliminary," said Sammons. "But we'd obviously be honored to have him. He's like Elvis. He's part of the Memphis story. It would take the tournament to an even higher level."
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