World No. 1 golfer Rory McIlroy "will be unveiled by Nike as its face of golf" in Abu Dhabi, UAE on Monday, in a 10-year deal understood to be worth £156M ($252M), according to Oliver Brown of the London TELEGRAPH. McIlroy will be accompanied at the announcement by Nike golf division President Cindy Davis. Since he was a teenager, McIlroy "has had a portfolio of sponsors, including Jumeirah, Oakley and Titleist, but has been forced to jettison them all as Nike routinely requires its star clients to be dressed from head to toe in its signature 'swoosh' logo." Nike "confirmed that there would be a 'major announcement' at Abu Dhabi’s Fairmont Hotel on Monday, featuring Davis and an unspecified 'special guest'" (TELEGRAPH, 1/8).
HELPING HAND: USA TODAY's Steve DiMeglio wrote McIlroy "has a new foundation to raise money for charity." He revealed Thursday "details of his first fundraising initiative for The Rory Foundation, which is set up to help less fortunate children around the world." McIlroy said in a statement: "When I was younger my parents sacrificed everything to allow me to play the game I love. Having that support from my family gave me the opportunity to chase my dreams. But I know that every child is not so fortunate. My aim is that The Rory Foundation will support children's charities big and small, around the world, and that we try to give kids that helping hand." The initiative is called the 6 Bags Project. In each of the first six tournaments McIlroy plays this year his golf bag "will carry the name and logo of a children's charity." During the tournament the bag "will be auctioned through www.roryfoundation.com with all monies raised going to the featured charity." The charity on the bag for McIlroy's first tournament is the Northern Ireland Cancer Fund for Children (USA TODAY, 1/10).
