NSYNC Accepts Backstreet Boys’ Golf Match Challenge — Bring It, Says Lance Bass
Sage Matthews here, blinking at my phone at 2 AM and muttering, “Of course this happened.” Pop icons who once battled for teen hearts are now lining up to duel over tee times, and honestly this feels like the logical decline of civilization.
In a move that will delight people nostalgic for frosted tips and questionable dance moves, *NSYNC has agreed to the Backstreet Boys’ recently pitched golf challenge. Lance Bass confirmed to TMZ Sports on August 14, 2025, that his group is game, responding to Brian Littrell and Nick Carter’s proposal with a breezy, “Bring it.” That is the entire tenor of modern celebrity rivalries now: passive-aggressive invitations to play 18 holes on camera.
The idea started when Littrell and Carter floated the notion that the Backstreet Boys could take on *NSYNC in a charity-style golf showdown. TMZ recorded Bass in Los Angeles saying “Of course” he was on board and joking that he is “incredible at golf,” which is the sort of dry self-deprecation one uses when one cannot actually play. He also ribbed bandmate Joey Fatone by facetiously calling the 48-year-old *NSYNC’s best player, a zing likely aimed at old camaraderie and mutual public teasing.
If you are wondering whether this will be one of those manufactured celeb contests with finesse and goodwill, there is precedent. Bryan Zuriff, the event creator behind “The Match,” told TMZ he has made preliminary inquiries about turning such a showdown into a made-for-TV spectacle. Zuriff’s involvement would slice the whole thing with a commercial blade, turning nostalgic rivalry into ratings and sponsor-friendly theatrics.
There is an element of genuine ability to consider. Justin Timberlake has been praised for his golfing, and Littrell reportedly can swing well too, which makes the matchup not entirely farcical. But do not delude yourself into thinking this is purely sporting competition. Bass reminded viewers of *NSYNC’s history of playing sports for causes, referencing their former “Challenge For The Children” basketball game used to raise funds. He suggested reconnecting that charity thread, which is a convenient moral gloss for an event that will surely monetize nostalgia.
So expect a polished production: celeb bickering, camera-friendly banter, pockets of actual athleticism, and a sponsor-friendly charity tie-in. Zuriff’s potential production polish plus the boys’ mutual teasing makes for a tidy product pitch. It will appease the last of the ’90s pop faithful, feed midlife celebrity narratives, and generate social media dopamine without changing anything meaningful about the world.
In short, *NSYNC versus Backstreet Boys on the golf course is likely to happen. TMZ is the reporting source for Bass’s onscreen reaction and for Zuriff’s preliminary planning remarks, which gives the story a public-record sheen rather than mere rumor. The outcome will probably be a TV event that recycles friendly rivalry into ad revenue and a few charitable dollars, while the rest of us watch with the tired thrill of seeing our childhood crushes age into product lines.
Anyway, can’t wait to see how this gets worse.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and TMZ, TMZ Sports
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
