Latest news with #SaudiArabia-backed
Fox News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Jose Luis Ballester, who went viral at Masters for unsavory moment, joins LIV Golf
The reigning U.S. Amateur champion, Jose Luis Ballester, has made the choice to head to LIV Golf. The Spanish youngster is set for his professional debut in Virginia in the Saudi Arabia-backed league. LIV Golf announced that Ballester, who goes by Josele, signed a multi-year deal to join the league, where he will be a part of the Fireballs team led by his fellow compatriot Sergio Garcia. Ballester also joins Abraham Ancer and David Puig on the Fireballs squad. Luis Masaveu, though, loses his full-time slot with the team. "We are very excited about Josele joining the team," Garcia said in a statement. "Personally, I have known him since he could pick up a golf club and he has worked with my father as his coach throughout his golf career." Not only does the 21-year-old have a connection with his new team captain, but he is also connected with Jon Rahm, another Spaniard on LIV. Their connection also involves Arizona State, the alma mater for both golfers as well as Phil Mickelson, who has been a face for LIV Golf since its inception. Ballester was able to join the Korn Ferry Tour, which is a step below the PGA Tour, after finishing third in the PGA Tour University standings this year. However, Golf Channel reported on Monday that he declined membership on that tour, beginning speculation that he might be heading to LIV. Ballester has already participated in a major, though, playing in this year's Masters at Augusta National Golf Club in April. He didn't make the cut, but he did have a viral moment after admitting he urinated in the famous Rae's Creek, which sits on the par-5 13th hole as the final leg of the three-hole "Amen Corner." Ballester said it was an emergency, but he caught a ton of flak on social media for what many believed was him being disrespectful at one of the most historic courses in the world. "I'm like, 'I really need to pee.' Didn't really know where to go, and since [Justin Thomas] had an issue on the green, I'm like, 'I'm just going to sneak here in the river and probably people would not see me much,' and then they clapped for me. Probably one of the claps that I really got today real loud, so that was kind of funny," Ballester, who shot a 4-over 76, said after his first round. "They saw me. It was not embarrassing at all for me. If I had to do it again, I would do it again," he said. Ballester said that he apologized for relieving himself in Rae's Creek to Augusta National officials. Ballester will join his new LIV Golf peers at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club on June 6 for his debut round on tour. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump resort to host Saudi Arabia-backed golf tournament, as negotiations over tariffs continue
The stock market took the biggest hit on Thursday since early COVID-19 times, but President Donald Trump continued on Friday to express confidence in his administration's large-scale tariff plan. 'THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO GET RICH, RICHER THAN EVER BEFORE!!!' the president said in a Truth Social post Friday morning from Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Palm Beach. The United States will 'have 6 or 7 trillion dollars coming into our country,' thanks to these import taxes, Trump told the White House press pool on Thursday afternoon before heading to Florida, where he is set to attend the LIV Golf tournament. The tournament will be held at the Trump National Doral Golf Club, the host of the three-day event, as it has the last four seasons. But, according to The Wall Street Journal, this marks the first time Trump is hosting the Saudi Arabia-backed golf tournament while also holding the office of president. Trump hasn't indicated whether he will play in the tournament. Meanwhile, his son Donald Trump Jr. teed up a round with pros like Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson at the LIV Golf Pro-Am earlier on Thursday, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also in the mix. A few hours after his initial post Friday, Trump said he had 'a very productive call' with Tô Lâm, the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, about striking an agreement to slash Vietnam's tariffs from 46% to zero. He welcomed a meeting with the heads of the Southeast Asian country. Foreign diplomacy is at the top of his mind as Trump navigates the effects of his tariffs on the U.S. economy. He appears interested in making deals on the golf course this weekend. He told the White House press pool he is interested in a merger between the two biggest golf circuits — the PGA Tour and the Saudi-owned LIV Golf. 'That'll be good. I'm involved in that too,' he said. This potential merger has been in the works for years. 'He loves golf, by the way,' two-time U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau told Fox News. 'I think he's such a great ambassador for the game of golf and for diplomacy, in general,' DeChambeau said. 'It's been fun to play some golf with him, get to know him a little bit better, and just recognize that he's just a normal person.' Trump's friendly relationship with Saudi Arabia extends beyond the golf course. He is set to visit this gulf country in May, marking his first international visit since becoming president. The trip will include pressure on Israel and Saudi Arabia to help reestablish a ceasefire in Gaza and for Hamas to release more hostages, as Axios reported. 'I am going to Saudi Arabia. Normally you would go to the UK first. Last time I went to Saudi Arabia. They put up 450 billion dollars,' Trump told reporters in early March. 'This time I said I will go if you put up a trillion dollars to American companies. Meaning the purchase over four years of a trillion dollars. They agreed to do that. So I am gonna be going there,' he said. As his relationship with Saudi Arabia pulls him away from his presidential duties this weekend, some onlookers criticized Trump for not being available for the return of four service members who died during a training exercise in Lithuania. Instead, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth 'will represent the Administration at the dignified transfer,' according to the White House.
Zawya
03-04-2025
- Automotive
- Zawya
Lucid's quarterly deliveries rise, Rivian's fall sharply
Electric automaker Lucid posted a 58% jump in first-quarter deliveries on Wednesday as it lowered prices of its vehicles, while peer Rivian Automotive reported a 36% decline. Lucid has also offered incentives including cheaper financing to woo customers away from cheaper hybrid vehicles amid high interest rates. However, the company estimated revenue between $232 million and $236 million for the first quarter ended March 31, below Wall Street estimates of $256.3 million, according to LSEG-compiled data. Shares of Lucid and Rivian were down around 5% in extended trading. Saudi Arabia-backed Lucid delivered 3,109 vehicles during the first quarter, compared with 1,967 in the same period last year. It produced 2,212 vehicles during the quarter ended March 31, up 28%, with more than 600 additional vehicles in transit to the Gulf country for final assembly. Rivian has been battling tough demand as consumers opt for cheaper hybrid and gas-powered vehicles in an uncertain economic and political environment. "I would say the sector at the moment is out of favor. Over the medium to long term, EVs are still inevitable, and so it's just going to take some time for these companies to continue to ramp up," said Andres Sheppard, senior equity analyst at Cantor Fitzgerald. Rivian CFO Claire McDonough had said in February vehicle deliveries would be lower this year due to soft demand, partially because of the impact of fires in Los Angeles. Demand could be further pressured as U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policies are expected to accelerate inflation and increase prices of automobiles, making consumers wary of committing to big purchases. Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe had said earlier this year the company expects higher costs from tariffs on Mexico and Canada as it has a supply chain footprint in these countries. The company delivered 8,640 vehicles in the quarter ended March 31, down from 13,588 a year earlier. But the deliveries exceeded analysts' estimate of 8,200, according to Visible Alpha. Rivian produced 14,611 vehicles in the first quarter, compared with 13,980 a year ago. It reaffirmed its annual deliveries forecast. Lucid and Rivian will report their first-quarter results on May 6. (Reporting by Zaheer Kachwala in Bengaluru, Juby Babu in Mexico City, additional reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar and Maju Samuel) Reuters
Arab News
25-03-2025
- Business
- Arab News
StarzPlay secures multi-year media rights deal with Saudi-backed Professional Fighters League
LONDON: The Saudi Arabia-backed Professional Fighters League on Tuesday announced a landmark multi-year media rights partnership with StarzPlay, the leading subscription video-on-demand service in the Middle East and North Africa region. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund has invested in the PFL through its subsidiary SRJ Sports Investments. The agreement with StarzPlay ensures that all PFL mixed martial arts programming — including the PFL World Tournament, Champions Series, PFL Europe, PFL MENA, and PFL Africa — will be available to fight fans across the MENA region. All PFL content will be accessible via the StarzPlay application, including on mobile and TV apps. The partnership kicks off on April 3 with the launch of the 2025 PFL World Tournament. Additionally, fans will be able to watch PFL MENA free in 2025, with the main event of the PFL MENA Season 2 quarterfinals scheduled to take place in Jeddah on May 9. That event will feature a highly anticipated featherweight showdown between Saudi Arabia's Abdullah Al-Qahtani and Egypt's Islam Reda. The collaboration reinforces PFL's commitment to expand its global footprint and deliver world-class MMA to audiences throughout the MENA region. 'We are very excited to partner with StarzPlay … to bring world-class MMA action to millions of passionate fight fans. This multi-year partnership marks a significant milestone in our mission to expand the PFL's global footprint and deliver premium combat sports content to audiences worldwide,' said Pete Murray, chief executive officer of PFL. 'The Middle East is a key market for the PFL and now, fight fans across the region can watch and support their favorite MENA fighters in all PFL events, including the electrifying kickoff of PFL MENA Season 2 in Jeddah this May 9,' he added. Danny Bates, chief operations officer and co-founder of StarzPlay, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the growing appetite for diverse sports content in the region, adding: 'With more people seeking diverse sports offerings today, this collaboration allows us to deliver premium MMA content to our subscribers across the MENA region, connecting them with the best in regional and international MMA talent.'
Khaleej Times
19-03-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Dubai coach reveals how Saudi is using cricket to motivate construction workers at Neom
It was only a few days ago that news about a proposed Saudi Arabia-backed T20 league emerged, a highly ambitious plan which the experts believe could change the global cricketing landscape. A Sydney Morning Herald report said Saudi is planning a $500 million cricket league featuring eight teams that could play in four different cities around the world. The planned league, many believe, could even knock the Indian Premier League (IPL) off its perch as the richest cricket tournament in the world. While there has been no official statement from the Saudi authorities yet on their ambitions of hosting a high-profile cricket tournament, the sport is quietly playing a part in their vision for the future. Having won the bid to host the 2034 Fifa World Cup, Saudi is leaving no stone unturned in its efforts to build world-class infrastructure across the Gulf country. And, in quite innovative way, Saudi has blended cricket with football, developing the game at the grassroots level and encouraging construction workers, especially in Neom, a futuristic city-state which is being developed in the northwestern part of the country. A state-of-the-art football stadium will also be built for the 2034 Fifa World Cup at Neom. As construction workers began their work, Saudi authorities, in association with IPL team, Rajasthan Royals, launched community cricket tournaments for employees and contractors. Sudhakar Shetty, a veteran Dubai-based Indian cricket coach, was invited by Rajasthan Royals to be part of a one-of-kind initiative to motivate construction workers. 'There are many stakeholders who are into the development of that place (Neom). One of them is Rajasthan Royals. They have community development programmes. They are doing a lot of activities in the workers' camps, motivating them,' Shetty told the Khaleej Times. Shetty's role was to give pep talks on cricket and motivate the workers during the tennis-ball tournaments. The Royals had also sent legendary cricketers Rahul Dravid and Kumar Sangakkara to take part in those initiatives. 'Dravid and Sangakkara gave away the prizes after the tournament and also interacted with the workers,' Shetty said. 'So cricket has become a tool to motivate construction workers because a lot of the people are from the sub-continent." The scale of the development work at Neom left Shetty, founder of the Maxtalent Cricket Academy in the UAE, lost for words. 'It's unbelievable how they are transforming the place. I can see a very bright future for Neom. And I think they are very upbeat that IPL will also come one day (to Saudi),' he said. Shetty was invited to be part of the project by Siddhartha Lahiri, head of Coaching Academy, Rajasthan Royals. 'I was happy to accept the offer because it's a welfare project, a non-commercial project,' he said. 'And cricket development has always been my passion, so I am always happy to do my bit for the game.'
