Joe Tomek, the executive director of the FedEx St. Jude Championship, is packing up his Memphis office and heading to Australia, where he will help oversee preparations for the 2028 Presidents Cup. Tomek, who stepped into the Memphis role in 2022, has been the public face of the tournament’s outreach and fan operations at TPC Southwind. His move shifts him from running one of the PGA Tour’s playoff stops to supporting one of golf’s marquee international team events.
The move was first reported on Wednesday by John Varlas of the Daily Memphian, which noted that Tomek will relocate to Australia to assist with Presidents Cup preparations. The report identified Tomek as the FedEx St. Jude Championship’s executive director since 2022 and did not spell out a specific departure timeline.
Tomek has been responsible for tournament operations and local partnerships from the championship office at TPC Southwind, according to the FedEx St. Jude Championship staff page. As outlined on the tournament site, the Positively Memphis grant fund channels support to Mid-South nonprofits during tournament week, and organizers have credited those programs with widening the event’s community footprint.
From Southwind To Sandbelt, Tomek Heads Down Under
The PGA Tour and Presidents Cup organizers have already tapped Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne as the 2028 host, a choice that calls for years of planning. The official release bills Kingston Heath as a world-class Sandbelt venue for the September 2028 matches, which helps explain why the Tour is redeploying experienced championship staff to Australia. Tomek’s new post drops him into a multi-year project attached to one of golf’s highest-profile team competitions.
Local coverage and tournament officials have pointed to Tomek’s role in elevating the championship’s community reach and fan experience in recent seasons. Reporting on a community fund push and television coverage from Action News 5 have highlighted the community grants and family-friendly initiatives that expanded under his watch. How the FedEx St. Jude Championship fills his chair will be a Memphis subplot to watch as the city gears up for the next playoff week at TPC Southwind.
Tomek’s departure underscores how local tournament leaders are often pulled into larger international assignments within the PGA Tour orbit. Tournament officials and the PGA Tour did not immediately offer additional comment, and this story will be updated as organizers announce a timetable or name a successor.
