NBA star LeBron James and the PGA Tour are partnering to bring a new golf event to his hometown of Akron, Ohio, starting July 6-7, 2027. The inaugural event at Firestone Country Club’s South Course aims to expand access, mentor youth, and showcase aspiring professional golfers.
Firestone Country Club to Host the Inaugural Event in July 2027
The PGA Tour and the LeBron James Family Foundation announced a multi-faceted partnership on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026, centering on youth engagement and competitive opportunities in golf. The inaugural LeBron James Family Foundation Invitational is scheduled for July 6-7, 2027, on the South Course at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.
The agreement brings high-level competitive golf back to a venue with deep history on the tour while weaving in local community initiatives. Organizers designed the program to combine youth mentorship with professional play, targeting historically underrepresented communities in the sport. The competition aims to spotlight underrepresented aspiring professional golfers, with proceeds benefitting the Akron community.
“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.”
LeBron James
Integrating the I Promise Program and the Pathway to Progression
The two-day tournament structure pairs off-course mentorship with competitive play. Students enrolled in the LeBron James Family Foundation’s I Promise program—which serves Akron-area students and their families by providing them with the programs, support and resources they need to succeed in school and beyond—will connect directly with professional golfers.
Those professional participants will draw from professional golfers who advanced through the PGA Tour’s Pathway to Progression Pro-Bound Five program. Additionally, competitions featuring amateurs as well as professionals from the Pro-Bound Five program will take place on Firestone Country Club’s South Course, adding another chapter to the PGA Tour’s decades-long presence in Akron.
PGA Tour Leadership Hails Shared Vision for Community Impact
The PGA TOUR and the LeBron James Family Foundation on Tuesday announced a new partnership, centered on a shared belief in the power of sports to create opportunity and transform lives.
Through the inaugural LeBron James Family Foundation Invitational at Firestone Country Club, set for July 6-7, 2027, a series of integrated initiatives will combine professional golf with youth engagement and fundraising to create community impact in LeBron James’ hometown of Akron, Ohio.
The new collaboration leverages James’s venture into the sport. Beyond his athletic career in the NBA, James is in the midst of a busy offseason, signing with the 76ers as a free agent on July 24 following his eight-year tenure as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. The Philadelphia 76ers star and the PGA Tour are set to host the LeBron James Family Foundation Invitational at Firestone Country Club in July 2027.
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer has become increasingly fond of golf, revealing that he started his new hobby after wanting to try something that he’d never done before upon turning 40 years old. James recently launched a YouTube channel focused solely on golf content, with his first video amassing over 2.5 million views since it was posted on Aug. 15 (h/t David Rumsey of Front Office Sports).
“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,” James said in a release, per ESPN’s Mark Schlabach.
Worth a look
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