Latest news with #Faldo
Gulf Insider
22-07-2025
- Business
- Gulf Insider
New Golf Course to Boost Saudi Arabia's Sports
Saudi Arabia's upcoming entertainment and sports city, Qiddiya, has unveiled plans for an 18-hole golf course designed by English golfer Sir Nick Faldo. The course, set along the 200-meter-high cliffs of the Tuwaiq Mountains, is part of Qiddiya's broader push to develop golf infrastructure in the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The announcement follows Qiddiya's new global partnership with the Faldo Series, regarded as the world's leading development pathway for young golfers. The partnership aims to grow the sport in Saudi Arabia and expand youth participation nationally and internationally, the SPA added. Faldo called the partnership a unique opportunity to help shape one of the world's most ambitious cities, where modern lifestyles blend with sports, entertainment, and culture in an innovative urban model. He said: 'The collaboration with Qiddiya City brings together one of the world's foremost sporting communities and a vibrant society passionate about discovering new sports experiences.' The project aligns with Qiddiya's long-term vision to become a premier golf destination in Saudi Arabia, welcoming players of all ages and supporting the next generation of Saudi golfers. Abdullah Al-Dawood, managing director of Qiddiya Investment Co., said: 'Our partnership with Sir Nick Faldo to design a new golf course, along with becoming the global partner of the Faldo Series, affirms our commitment to supporting golf and nurturing the next generation of Saudi golfers.' The course will offer a variety of playing options and accommodate all skill levels. Alongside a layout designed to challenge professionals, it will feature evening lighting for night play and structured training programs for beginners. The design blends traditional elements with contemporary, inclusive features to broaden participation. The larger golf destination will include a clubhouse, extensive training grounds, and an advanced academy developed by Patterson Design. These facilities are tailored to the desert environment, emphasizing sustainability and alignment with global golf standards. Beyond the sport itself, the site is envisioned as a community hub, featuring fitness and wellness centers, social spaces, indoor and outdoor pools, and a variety of restaurants and cafes. At the heart of the site, a green-covered structure open to the public will host events and serve as a central gathering space. It will connect the golf club, the multi-use sports and social complex, and the training academy, creating a unified destination for recreation, learning, and community activity. This distinctive architectural centerpiece will link the three key areas: the golf club as the operational core, a sports and social activity center, and an academy focused on high-level golf instruction and training. Qiddiya City includes more than 20 master-planned districts focused on entertainment, sports, and culture, along with housing, commercial, and hospitality offerings. The golf project joins several other high-profile developments under the Qiddiya umbrella, including the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium — expected to host global sports and entertainment events such as the 2034 FIFA World Cup — the Speed Park motorsports venue, Mercedes-AMG World with public racing experiences, and the Performing Arts Center, which will support diverse cultural and creative programming. Also read: Saudi Municipalities Crack Down on Unlicensed Housing Subdivisions
Irish Independent
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Nick Faldo identifies where Rory McIlroy sits among the all-time greats of European golf
Faldo believes McIlroy's Grand Slam win last April at the Masters ensured he has achieved more than he did in his own career Nick Faldo believes Rory McIlroy is on course to go down in history as the greatest European golfer of all-time and hinted a victory for the newest member of the sport's Grand Slam club in this week's Open Championship at Portrush could end the debate. Englishman Faldo's six major titles were made up of three Masters green jackets and three wins at The Open between 1989 and 1996, with five-time major winner McIlroy looking to join him on that number by winning this year's Open on home soil at Portrush this week.
Metro
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Metro
Nick Faldo names his favourite to end 33-year English drought at The Open
When Sir Nick Faldo won his third and final Open Championship in 1992, he probably didn't expect that 33 years later he would remain the most recent Englishman to lift the Claret Jug. And yet, as Faldo, an analyst with Sky Sports, ducks into the media centre to escape the first storm of the week at Royal Portrush, that remains the case. Sure, there have been close calls – most notably Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose in the last two years – but no Englishman has managed to seal the deal since Faldo bested John Cook by one shot at Muirfield all those years ago. British players should have an advantage having grown up playing many of the Open rota courses, but with many now plying their trade full-time in the United States, a return to links golf requires a total shift in mindset. 'Obviously, the grass is different. The bunkers are different. My goodness, the hay around the green is different. The speed of the greens are different. I mean, you have to practice everything, everything differently,' Faldo explained. So who, then, has the best chance of ending England's long wait for an Open winner? Three players – Fleetwood, Rose and Tyrrell Hatton – currently lie in the world's top 25, and Faldo reckons that it's the veteran Rose – a runner-up last year at Troon and at the Masters in April – who is best placed to finally get the job done. 'Probably Rosey is the most obvious after what he did at Augusta,' the six-time major champion said. 'He was in with a shout and around last year at the Open as well. 'It's a great golf course – we're probably going to talk about the wind a lot this week, but it needs a lot of good thinking and decision-making with club selection, and I think Rosey has a pretty good formula with that. He's the most obvious choice at the moment.' Fleetwood is always fancied heading into major weeks given his supreme ball-striking and accuracy off the tee, but a final-hole collapse at last month's Travellers Championship sees the 34-year-old arrive at Portrush with yet more scar tissue to overcome. 'It comes down to mental strength to finish it off,' Faldo said. 'Maybe he learns from it but you have to put yourselves in situations like that to learn from the experience. 'Whether he discovers something technically he did, or mentally, whatever it was that caused that bad shot, maybe it makes you a better golfer, and you can deal with it.' Faldo has other doubts, though. 'The only thing Tommy struggles with is that he hits a draw all the time, and if it goes off a little bit, overdraws it, and he doesn't really have a great fade shot,' the 67-year-old said. 'I think this is such a great golf course, and we change direction on so many holes here, you swap around a lot, so I don't think a one-dimensional player will win this week. 'I think you need to have the ability to work the golf ball, especially high and low. You could get a lot of crosswinds here, and I think that is where he is lacking. He doesn't have a fade that he can really trust.' But while English players may harbour dreams of ending the 33-year drought, many on site in Northern Ireland this week have their hopes pinned firmly on just one man. Having ended his major drought to complete the Grand Slam at the Masters, Rory McIlroy returns home looking to exorcise yet more demons after he missed the cut when the Open was last held here at Portrush in 2019. When: Thursday 17 July – Sunday 20 July Where: Royal Portrush Golf Club in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. How to watch: All four rounds from the Open will be shown on Sky Sports Golf or Sky Sports Main Event. What time: Rounds One and Two from 6.30am till 9.30pm, Round Three from from 11am till 8.30pm, Round Four from 10am till 7.30pm. The World No2 has not been his brilliant self since winning at Augusta National, but a second-place finish at last week's Scottish Open will be cause for optimism. The battle this week for McIlroy, though, will be as much between the ears as it is between tee and green. 'I think he has settled down and played nicely last week, Faldo added. 'He is here with unbelievable support. They've got record crowds who love him but whether he can channel that or whether it's: 'Can I have a bit of peace?' I don't know. More Trending 'I think he's going to be very conscious that there is so much going on around him. Obviously he's going to have unbelievable support, but just because you have support, it doesn't mean you are going to hit a great golf shot. 'I bet he can't wait to just get started. The time between Monday and getting to the Thursday first tee can be the worst. I think he would rather just say: 'I'm playing fine, I know the golf course. Let me go out there'. 'The key for him is to just save his mental strength for Thursday morning – let's just hope he hits a better tee shot than last time.' Watch live coverage of The 153rd Open from Royal Portrush exclusively on Sky Sports and NOW from Thursday 17 July. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: The Open 2025: Round One and Two tee times, TV schedule, odds and how to watch MORE: Dan Brown relishing Open return after 'dream-like' debut at Royal Troon
USA Today
12-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Rory McIlroy has unfinished business at U.S. Open, but can he overcome his Masters hangover?
Rory McIlroy has unfinished business at U.S. Open, but can he overcome his Masters hangover? Show Caption Hide Caption Rory McIlroy on motivation after Masters win Rory McIlroy admits he didn't expect how hard it would be to find motivation after his Masters triumph. USGA Rory McIlroy's performance has been inconsistent since his Masters win. Commentators and analysts have expressed concern about McIlroy's lack of motivation and focus. McIlroy admitted to struggling with motivation after achieving a major goal. OAKMONT, Pa. — On his way to winning six major titles, Nick Faldo learned first-hand the razor-thin line between the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. The three-time Masters champion served as lead analyst for Sky TV's coverage of the Masters in Europe and in his pithy style mused during the back nine on Sunday that one great shot would win it and one poor shot would lose it for McIlroy. Faldo wasn't wrong except for one miscalculation. 'He had about six of each,' he said. 'Rory really put us through the ringer.' Indeed. And then Faldo turned philosophical about McIlroy's dramatic sudden-death victory over Justin Rose in April to claim the Green Jacket, his first fifth major and first in nearly 11 years, and the sixth golfer to complete the career Grand Slam. 'That winning putt goes in and he's become an absolute legend and walking in fields of gold – to steal an old Sting line,' Faldo said. 'But if Rose had holed and Rory hits a perfect putt and it lips out his life would've been ruined. Isn't it ridiculous?' Almost as silly as the knee-jerk reaction that with the pressure lifted, McIlroy would suddenly run the table at majors. Instead, McIlroy has teed it up four timed since slipping on the Green Jacket and finished T-12 at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, a team event with partner Shane Lowry, T-7 at the Truist Championship, a pedestrian T-47 at the PGA Championship and missed the cut last week at the RBC Canadian Open, which included a second-round 78. Golf Channel Brandel Chamblee judged McIlroy's most recent performance as perhaps 'the worst performance we've ever seen out of Rory.' Faldo, for one, is none too surprised McIlroy has fallen flat since reaching the summit of his personal Mount Everest. 'You climb Everest you don't exactly turn around and go back again,' Faldo said. 'You can't flip a switch at majors unless you're Tiger. When you give that much emotion, I don't think you just go I'll gear up and off I go.' That's been typical of McIlroy throughout his career after a big win, he said, and he's giving himself some grace. 'I always struggle to show up with motivation the next week because you've just accomplished something and you want to enjoy it and you want to sort of relish the fact that you've achieved a goal,' he explained. 'I think chasing a certain goal for the better part of a decade and a half, I think I'm allowed a little bit of time to relax a little bit. But here at Oakmont, I certainly can't relax this week.' McIlroy noted he had dreamed about the final putt going in at the Masters. But he never dreamed about what comes next. So far, he has been too busy celebrating to plot new goals to chase beyond his pursuit this week of the U.S. Open, next month's British Open at Royal Portrush in his native Northern Ireland and winning an away Ryder Cup in New York in September. Asked about his five-year plan, McIlroy puffed air and answered, 'I don't have one. I have no idea. I'm sort of just taking it tournament by tournament at this point. Yeah, I have no idea.' After skipping speaking to the media after all four rounds at the PGA Championship, McIlroy remained salty when asked about what TaylorMade driver he planned to use at Oakmont. 'Come out and watch me hit balls, and you'll see.' Discussing McIlroy's uneven performance since the Masters on Golf Channel's 'Live From,' Chamblee and fellow commentator Paul McGinley both expressed concern about McIlroy heading into a demanding test such as Oakmont. 'It was very worrying looking at his press conference. His eyes weren't alive. The energy was not there. He didn't have the pointy elbows,' McGinley said. 'It looks like something has gone out of him since the Grand Slam, like the air has gone out of him, not just in how he's played but in his press conferences. There will be a reset at some stage but it doesn't look like it's coming this week. This is not normal Rory.' 'I think the technical and the mental are intertwined. It is the lack of motivation, the lack of pressure, the lack of a focus on a clearly defined goal that leads to technical issues. Until he finds purpose again, he's never going to be what he was at the Masters,' Chamblee contended. 'He wouldn't say the things he's said (in press conferences) in a team atmosphere. The coach wouldn't let him play. If he said what he said, the coach would put him on the bench, (saying,) 'You can't let this team down. You can't let this city down. You can't let the people investing in this team down.' ' McIlroy has been the nearly man of late at the U.S. Open, finishing runner-up the last two years, including squandering a two-shot lead with four holes to go last year, and hasn't been outside the top 10 in his last six starts at the U.S. Open. How will he overcome his Masters hangover? 'I think it's trying to have a little bit of amnesia and forget about what happened six weeks ago,' he said. 'Then just trying to find the motivation to go back out there and work as hard as I've been working.'
Daily Mirror
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Sir Nick Faldo takes swipe at UK while bragging about Donald Trump friendship
Multimillionaire golfer Nick Faldo, who was knighted for services to sport, told how he has no plans to return to Britain after taking a recent stroll down Eton High Street Sir Nick Faldo has criticised the UK using one of the nation's wealthiest high streets to attack his homeland while simultaneously praising life in his pal Donald Trump's America. The multimillionaire golfer, who was knighted for services to sport, told how he has no plans to return to Britain after taking a recent stroll down Eton High Street. 'We walked down Eton High Street because we used to live near there and it's looking a bit rough,' he said. 'You know, things have gone down. The shops are closing, there's boarded up windows and I'm disappointed to see that the country is struggling, to be honest. And, I mean, that's a shame.' The six-time major winner then boasted about his friendship with Trump before praising his adopted America, where he lives with his fourth wife, Lindsay De Marco. The former topless dancer is an ardent fan of the controversial president, often posting her support of him on the couple's Instagram page. When asked about Trump's America, Faldo, 67, told the Telegraph: 'You've got to say the attitude [in the US] is good. It's back to the good old psychology of life. You've got to be seeing good things and saying good things. Self-hypnosis is really powerful, you know?' His gushing praise of Trump's leadership came as America is currently teetering on the edge of recession, where grocery prices are spiralling due to the US leader's unhinged tariffs, and democracy is under siege from the president's attacks. Despite accepting a knighthood and continuing to use the 'Sir' title, Faldo said he has no intention of returning to the UK, choosing instead to spend his time in Montana, where he lives on a farm with his wife. Last year, the couple attended a Trump campaign rally during which the US leader spoke about the golfer while on stage. Addressing supporters in August, he said: "This guy is a major golfer. He is a major friend of mine. One of the best ever. They knighted him in England or the UK. And he just knew how to win. He could take people, he'd play the best players in the world, and they always folded in front of him. In fact, I think I need to bring him into government 'cause we like to get other people to fold. And his nickname is Foldo (sic) because he makes everyone, but his name is Faldo. Nick Faldo and his beautiful wife, Lyndsay. Where is Nick?" Trump then turned to point to the retired golfer who was sitting several rows back from the podium. "That guy can play golf," Trump added. "He's won six majors and many, many tournaments, and he's one of the greatest golfers ever. It's an honour, as a golfer. You are a piece of work. He's a tough cookie, too. You talk about a tough cookie. That's a tough cookie." Now, Faldo has spoken about his friendship with Trump, boasting about their relationship. 'He always calls me Nicky,' the golfer said of the businessman, recalling the frequency of their conversations. 'So when I started TV, out of the blue, a Monday after a tournament, I remember I was down hitting golf balls, and it's Donald, back when he was just a businessman,' he added. ''Nicky,'' Faldo said, impersonating Trump. Nicky, how did he blow that tournament? You wouldn't have done that, Nicky. You'd have done this, you'd have done that, Nicky.' Over ten years, that happened two or three times a year out of the blue.' Faldo revelled in the idea of calling Trump, treating the president as a party trick. 'For fun, I could be anywhere in the world and if somebody was talking about this and that, I'd say: 'I'll call him'. And I always get through. Honestly. One hundred per cent of the time,' he said. He went on to reveal an anecdote about ignoring a phone call from the president during the 2019 Masters, while on live television. 'It's the 2019 Masters. Tiger's just won... one of the ladies from CBS leans over to me and goes, 'I have a call from the president of the United States for you, sir...'' 'I say, 'Oh, tell him to call me on Monday.' She goes, 'no, it's the president of the United States'. It's fine, tell him that I'm busy, I'm on with (sports presenter Jim) Nantz!.' So anyway, about 4pm... my phone rings and I've got the president of the United States on the line. I've got Donald saying, 'Nicky, Nicky, how did he win this? How did he win this? How did he do that?' I go back: 'Do you realise that I'm live on flipping TV. Do you mind?' So my claim to fame is that he called two golfers on that day, and Tiger was second.' Faldo's praise for Trump comes as the president's bizarre tariffs hammer US households and his administration flouts laws and the constitution to impose the US leader's will. His wife has made no secret of her love for the former businessman, often posting on social media her support. Last year, following a failed assassination attempt on Trump, she posted a picture of him as he raised his hand in defiance. She wrote alongside the picture: "This is the only man I want leading our country." Before Joe Biden dropped out of the race, she often criticised the then-US leader. She has long held conservative views. Her fifth of seven husbands was multi-millionaire US businessman Scott Sangalli. As Mrs Sangalli, the couple, who were close to failed Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, used his wealth to support the Republican party while indulging Lindsay in her love of politics. Thirteen years ago, after running for office herself, she won the title of Mrs Conservative US. On winning the title, Lindsay, who is a convicted drug felon, said: "One side or size doesn't fit all, and the liberal agenda isn't for everyone. "The pageant sends out the message to women that being a conservative woman or young lady is a choice like any other. If it's their choice, then they should embrace it, and the Conservative US Pageant is the perfect place to showcase conservative women of all ages and to celebrate conservatism in America."
