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NBA star LeBron James and the PGA Tour are partnering to bring a golf event back to his hometown of Akron, Ohio, starting in 2027, his foundation revealed Tuesday.
The LeBron James Family Foundation Invitational, which will be played July 6-7 at the South Course at Firestone Country Club, will feature amateurs and pros from the tour’s Pathway to Progression Pro-Bound Five program.
The Pro-Bound Five program creates pathways for the top five players in the final Advocates Professional Golf Association (APGA) Collegiate Ranking each season to gain membership on the APGA Tour.
“Golf has become a passion of mine, and I’ve seen firsthand how the game can open doors, build relationships and create opportunities that many kids don’t even know exist,” James reported in a statement. “This partnership with the PGA Tour gives my foundation a chance to introduce my I Promise students and more people to the game at a young age, support talented athletes chasing their dreams, and continue investing in the city of Akron that means everything to me.”
The two-day event will include off-course mentorship programs that will connect students in the LeBron James Family Foundation’s I Promise program with pro golfers who have advanced through the Pro-Bound Five program.
“The PGA Tour believes golf can create opportunity, change lives and bring communities together,” PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp reported in a statement. “LeBron and the LeBron James Family Foundation have shown what is possible when that commitment is backed by action, and this partnership brings that shared vision to life. By connecting young people in Akron with our sport and supporting talented, up-and-coming athletes pursuing their dreams through our Pathway to Progression program, we are creating an event that honors Firestone’s history and legacy while helping shape golf’s future.”
James’ I Promise program serves students and their families in the Akron area with programs, support and resources to succeed in school.
James, who signed a two-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers in July, has become an avid golfer. He launched a YouTube channel devoted to golf earlier this month. His first video featured a reunion of the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers team that ended the city’s 52-year title drought for major sports franchises.
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Former Cavaliers teammates Kevin Love, J.R. Smith, Richard Jefferson, Tristan Thompson and Channing Frye were with James on the golf trip to Scotland.
In an interview with NBA agent and Boardroom co-founder Rich Kleiman in July, James reported he hopes to influence more city children to take up the game.
“My goal is to open doors for kids that look like me growing up in the inner city, to be able to go to country clubs at 7, 8, 9 years old and be able to go out and caddy or be able to go out and rent clubs and be able to be coached and play the game of golf,” James reported while speaking at the CNBC Sport x Boardroom Game Plan Summit in New York City. “And it’s not because they can’t afford it. It’s because they have a passion of wanting to play that sport.”
James’ new event will also ensure that the PGA Tour continues to have some presence in his hometown.
Firestone Country Club has been a regular stop for professional golfers since it first hosted the Rubber City Open in 1954. In 1966, it hosted the PGA Championship, World Series of Golf and the CBS Golf Classic in the same season.
Jack Nicklaus played in his first pro event at Firestone Country Club in 1958, and Tiger Woods captured World Series of Golf events at Firestone eight times from 1999 to 2013.
Firestone Country Club hosted the Senior Players Championship, a major championship on the PGA Tour Champions circuit, beginning in 2019. The tour revealed in May that the tournament, also known as the Kaulig Companies Championship, is moving to Newport Beach Country Club in California next season.
“For many years, PGA Tour events at Firestone have been a staple of our community, benefitting our hometown and bringing people together,” LeBron James Family Foundation executive director Michele Campbell reported in a statement. “The LeBron James Family Foundation is very proud to be part of preserving the PGA Tour’s presence in our community. With this event, we’re excited to not only support more diverse golfers getting into the game, but to also expose our I Promise students and more youth in Akron to the world of possibilities that golf opens up.
“With the intentional programming we’re building, we’re looking forward to the opportunities this event will bring for young people and the entire community.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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