FanHouse Justin Timberlake

A year ago, Tony Romo joined Justin Timberlake and Matt Lauer in a round of celebrity golf at Torrey Pines the week before the U.S. Open. He fired an 84, which, to hear him tell it, was disappointing.

In general, a 2-handicap isn't all that jazzed about a 14-over round, but I'm guessing Romo doesn't regularly play on courses that feature 4-inch rough, 20-yard-wide fairways, and greens rolling 14 on the stimpmeter. But, hey, the guy sets high standards for himself.

Last month, between organized team activities at his day job, Romo tried and failed to qualify for the Byron Nelson Championship. And next week he will play with Tiger Woods in the AT&T National pro-am.

There are any number of ways to compare NFL quarterbacks. Conventional stats, advanced stats, Pro Bowl appearances, Super Bowl rings, celebrity ladyfriends. And now: golf scores on U.S. Open set-ups.

In an effort to keep our golf visitors well informed on what is going on around the Internet, Range Balls is our weekly link dump. Every Tuesday during golf season, we will toss out some of the most interesting things we came across. If you have a tip, e-mail us at fanhousegolf@gmail.com. Enjoy the links.

--It appears Justin Timberlake, Michael Jordan and Ben Roethlisberger can avoid hiring that extra security detail for the U.S. Open Challenge this year at Bethpage Black. Phoenix police lieutenant Larry Giebelhausen was named big winner and will have his chance at breaking 100 at the U.S. Open venue. [Golf Digest]

--Ernie Els, rejoice, because the British Open is heading back to Muirfield in 2013. The site of his '02 victory, his last major championship, the Royal and Ancient has decided to swing back by the home of the honorable company of Edinburgh golfers for another shot at the Claret Jug. [PGA]

--If you think you're a true Tiger Woods fan, you might need to have a word with Whiskers. [Armchair Golf Blog]

--You know the only drawback to hitting drives upwards of 340 yards? You might have to wait a while until you get to hit your next shot. Bubba Watson was obviously upset with the slow play at Quail Hollow, admiitting, "I mean, it's just not fun." [CBS Sports]

--A detailed looked at the Catch-22 in women's golf. [Golf Girl's Diary]

Like Torrey Pines in 2008, this year's U.S. Open is being played at a unique destination: Bethpage. The course is unique for a number of reasons. First, if you have the patience to sleep in your car overnight, you and I could get on Bethpage Black for around $100 and play the same golf course that the pros will be teeing it up on in less than two months. Also, it might just be the toughest course in the country, boasting the famous sign outside that warns, "Warning: The Black course is an extremely difficult course which we recommend only for highly skilled golfers."

Now, as it turns out, if you're lucky enough to win the 2009 Golf Digest U.S. Open Challenge, a contest that's open to the public, you'll not only get a chance to play Bethpage, but you'll do it with Michael Jordan, Justin Timberlake and Ben Roethlisberger, who recently announced he'd participate this year.

The year 1999 was a long time ago. Justin Timberlake was a guy in a band called 'N Sync. People were buying bottled water and canned goods in fear of something called Y2K. Oh, and it was probably the last time Sergio Garcia was popular, when he battled Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship, falling just short but touching golf fans everywhere.

Now, Garcia just continues to rub people the wrong way. He waggled his way around Bethpage Black at the U.S. Open in 2002. He spit in a cup after a missed putt in the 2007 Doral Open. He blamed anyone and everyone for his loss in the 2007 British Open. Now? Sergio let Augusta National, golf's sanctuary, have it, lashing out about the course conditions, saying, "I don't like it, to tell you the truth. I don't think it's fair, and, you know, it's just too tricky."

Follow me after the jump for full video of Garcia's ridiculous rant.

Bruce Springsteen is America. Right? I mean, the guy wrote "Born in the USA" and he's probably from a small town. Grew up there. Gonna die there. Oh ... right. Sorry. Anyway, Bruce is all about these here United States.

So it would make sense, theoretically, that he's a football junkie (I'd have him pegged for the very obvious "Giants fandom" selection, personally.) Turns out, though, that he knows nothing about football. Nothing!

Good news for golf nuts who are also not huge fans of their lungs -- Michael Jordan and his cigars will be playing in the Golf Digest U.S. Open Challenge next season at Bethpage Black.

Jordan will be joining Justin Timberlake, or as we call him round here, Mr. Big Bertha, as two members of the Challenge that puts three celebrities and one random golfer together to try and take on the U.S. Open course the week before the tournament.

"Oh, this was a difficult yes," says Jordan. "I've been in a little slump with my golf swing and haven't been playing well for the last couple of years. I had the shanks -- real bad. Now that I've gotten rid of them, I finally feel comfortable over the ball again. This will be another great challenge for my competitive nature."

Last week, Callaway Golf announced that they had signed Justin Timberlake to a sponsorship deal. Timberlake isn't a professional golfer (does anybody not know that?) but he dated Brittney Spears, was a member of 'N Sync, and loves golf. Hardly seems like a reason to sign a celebrity to a club deal, but I'm not a marketing whiz, so what do I know.

Tom Rotunno, on Darren Rovell's CNBC blog, writes that "Timberlake won't be used in Callaway advertising, [but] he will play a full complement of Callaway Golf clubs, golf balls and will carry a bag branded with the company's logo."

Terms of the deal weren't announced, but assuming that actual money was involved, I'm not sure how the few hundred people who see Timberlake on the course every year toting a nifty new Callaway bag will put much of a dent in sales.

But Timberlake is a celebrity and sometimes that's all it takes. Rotunno talked to the brainiacs behind the Davis-Brown Index (according to Wikipedia, DBI "is an independent index for brand marketers and agencies that determines a celebrity's ability to influence brand affinity and consumer purchase intent.") to run the numbers and here's the deal:

To be completely honest, I didn't even know Justin Timberlake played golf until late last year when a buddy called to tell me he was the group behind him on a Las Vegas golf course. After that, the flood gates opened when Timberlake appeared with Matt Lauer and Tony Romo at the U.S. Open contest earlier this year and is now set to host a PGA Tour event starting tomorrow in, you guessed it, Las Vegas.

The proclaimed six-handicapping is the host of the, deep breath, Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Open which starts tomorrow at TPC Summerlin with such notables as Woody Austin, Paul Azinger, Davis Love III and John Daly. Surprised by the last one? Well, it turns out Daly and Timberlake are good buddies, even playing in the pro-am on Monday together.

Both hail from Tennessee and became friends about 10 years ago, when Timberlake first picked up the sport. Even when he was still a high handicapper, Timberlake told Daly he was going to become a good golfer.

"And he has. Now his handicap is around a six, I think, and he knows the rules, he knows the game," Daly added. "He's a great guy. We like to hang out, and it's just great to have his name on this tournament."

Shhhhhhh. Despite what you may have thought, the ESPY's won't come on live this coming Sunday night.

The award show that awards a part of entertainment that has their own awards process was held last night. Justin Timberlake was the host and got the gig of telling stale jokes and ushering in athletes in tuxes and evening gowns.

He did get to chat it up with Brett Favre, who has become somewhat of a news story of late:

"What have you been up to lately? I haven't seen you anywhere," Timberlake said. "Just chillin'? Yeah, me too."

Favre, himself, used the event as an opportunity to make a funny. After receiving his award for everyone gets an award Record Breaking Performance, he looked up at a video of his accomplishments, smiled and said, "Watchin' that makes me want to play again."

The ice is now broken.

Timberlake also took the time to go into the crowd and give Favre's successor, Aaron Rodgers, a hug. He also referenced a certain incident at a pretty large football contest's intermission variety extravaganza.