Justin Timberlake
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Fans will find out next year, when the Grammy-winning singer hosts his first PGA Tour event in Las Vegas, part of a five-year agreement with the PGA that will benefit the Shriners Hospitals for Children.
The Vegas tour stop, scheduled for Oct. 13-19, 2008, will be renamed the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, and Timberlake himself will play in the Wednesday celebrity pro-am and host a concert during tournament week.
"I couldn't be more excited," Timberlake, 26, says in a statement. "We will make sure to make this event unique and memorable, and we will raise money for charity while participating in the greatest game ever played. ... Raising money to better children's lives while playing golf? I can't think of a better way to pass the time."
Timberlake is the 14th celebrity in PGA Tour history to host an event, joining the likes of Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr.
PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said he is looking forward to "an exciting and effective collaboration." And Ralph W. Semb, chairman of the board of trustees at Shriners Hospitals for Children, added that he was thrilled that Timberlake has agreed to "assist us in our work to help young people receive the quality medical treatment they deserve, at no cost."
One fan in particular may be ready to square off with Timberlake on the links: Katie Walker, 18, who was treated at the Shriners Hospital in Los Angeles when she was just a year old. Her leg was amputated, but through the help of prostheses, she has become a competitive golfer – and also has a musical streak, having recorded her first CD of country music.
"His star power is going to make an already fantastic tournament even better, and I know that can only help the Shriners impact more lives like mine," Walker said.
