MEMPHIS, Tenn. — As the FedEx St. Jude Championship got underway at TPC Southwind on Monday, FedEx kicked off one of Memphis’ biggest weeks in golf with an announcement focused on the future of the game and the city’s young people.
Jenny Robertson, Senior Vice President of Global Brand and Communications for FedEx, announced that FedEx is making a $1 million contribution to the Loren Roberts Family Clubhouse and Learning Center at Links at Audubon, a major component of the Tennessee Golf Foundation’s Driving Our Future campaign.
Robertson made the announcement during a special FedEx event on the driving range at TPC Southwind, bringing together some of the biggest names in sports with young participants from First Tee Tennessee – Memphis.
The event featured an all-star lineup from across the sports world, including Tommy Fleetwood, the reigning FedExCup champion; Cameron Boozer, the Memphis Grizzlies’ No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft; and Adam Schefter, ESPN’s longtime NFL insider and one of the most recognizable sports reporters in the country.
Together, Fleetwood, Boozer and Schefter joined kids from First Tee Tennessee – Memphis for a series of golf skills challenges on the driving range at TPC Southwind.
The setting provided a fitting stage for Robertson’s announcement. While the FedEx St. Jude Championship brings the world’s best golfers to Memphis, the $1 million gift from FedEx is focused on creating opportunities for the young people who represent the future of the game.
The gift will help support the creation of a new home for First Tee Tennessee – Memphis, providing a dedicated space where young people can learn, grow and build meaningful relationships through the game of golf.
“FedEx has a long history of supporting the game of golf, Memphis and youth,” said Robertson. “Bringing those three together and being able to give $1 million to help build a clubhouse for First Tee is just a perfect fit for so many of our priorities here in this city.”
“We want to give these young people a place to go in the heart of the city, where they can get help with their homework, learn about golf and discover opportunities they may have only dreamed were possible—and realize those opportunities can actually become a reality for them. We can’t wait to see it open and to see all the First Tee youth using it.”
The name attached to the new facility carries special significance in Memphis golf.
Loren Roberts has called the Memphis area home for more than four decades, establishing a legacy that extends from success at the highest levels of professional golf to a longstanding commitment to giving back to the game and supporting young golfers.
Known as one of the game’s premier putters, Roberts earned the nickname “Boss of the Moss” during an accomplished professional career. He recorded eight victories on the PGA TOUR and later added 13 victories on PGA TOUR Champions. Roberts also represented the United States in the 1995 Ryder Cup and played on Presidents Cup teams in 1994 and 2000.
Roberts is a multiple major champion on the PGA TOUR Champions, including victories in the 2005 JELD-WEN Tradition and the 2006 and 2009 Senior Open Championships.
But Roberts’ connection to Tennessee golf has always extended beyond tournament results.
His longstanding commitment to junior golf and developing the next generation has been a significant part of his impact on the game. Following the inaugural Presidents Cup in 1994, Roberts donated his winnings to the Mid-South Junior Golf Association and Golf House Tennessee, demonstrating a commitment to creating opportunities through golf long before his name was attached to this new facility.
That history makes the Loren Roberts Family Clubhouse and Learning Center a fitting continuation of his legacy. The facility will provide a place where a new generation of young people can be introduced to golf while developing skills and values that will serve them far beyond the course.
“This investment represents much more than a building,” said Whit Turnbow, President of the Tennessee Golf Foundation. “It represents an investment in young people and in the future of Memphis. We are incredibly grateful to Jenny Robertson and the entire FedEx team for believing in our vision and in the power of golf to positively impact lives.”
The clubhouse and learning center is a major component of the Tennessee Golf Foundation’s Driving Our Future campaign, a transformational capital campaign focused on building infrastructure across the state to expand the Foundation’s mission of providing more accessible and affordable opportunities for young people to experience golf and the character-building lessons the game provides.
The project will complement the City of Memphis’ revitalization of Links at Audubon, bringing together improvements to the golf course with a mission-driven space dedicated to youth development, education, mentorship and community engagement.
Through First Tee Tennessee, young people have opportunities to learn the game while developing confidence, integrity, perseverance, resilience and other life skills. The Loren Roberts Family Clubhouse and Learning Center will provide a permanent home for that work in Memphis, creating a gathering place for young people, families and the broader community.
The timing and location of FedEx’s announcement made the moment especially meaningful. Just feet away from where PGA TOUR professionals were preparing to compete in the FedEx St. Jude Championship, First Tee Tennessee – Memphis participants were testing their own skills alongside Fleetwood, Boozer and Schefter, a tangible example of the connections and opportunities golf can create.
For FedEx, a company with deep roots in Memphis, the gift represents another significant investment in its hometown community. For the Tennessee Golf Foundation, it marks a major step toward turning the vision for Links at Audubon into reality.
The Loren Roberts Family Clubhouse and Learning Center will celebrate the legacy of one of Tennessee golf’s most accomplished figures while ensuring that legacy is carried forward by the generations that follow.
