As the 43rd Ryder Cup heads to Wisconsin’s Whistling Straits golf club this week, so does Rolex and its many testimonees.
Rolex being centre stage is par for the course at most high-profile golf events, and this year’s Ryder Cup will be no different.
The twelve-man teams representing Europe and the United States will battle from 24–26 September at the Straits course, which boasts a strong big-event pedigree, having hosted the PGA Championship on three occasions.
Rolex has been the Official Timekeeper of this biennial showdown – often referred to as the greatest golfing show on earth – for more than 25 years and expanded its partnership earlier this year to become a Worldwide Partner.
At the 43rd edition of this much-anticipated event, Padraig Harrington will be hoping to emulate fellow Rolex Testimonees Bernhard Langer (2004), Colin Montgomerie (2010), José María Olazábal (2012), Paul McGinley (2014) and Thomas Bjørn (2018) in captaining Europe to victory.
The Europeans will defend the Samuel Ryder Trophy, which they reclaimed with a seven-point win at Le Golf National on the outskirts of Paris three years ago.
In a decorated Ryder Cup career, the three-time Major champion represented Europe on six occasions as a player, helping the team to victory in 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2010, and has served as a Vice Captain at the past three editions of the transatlantic competition.
Working alongside Harrington as Vice Captains will be fellow Testimonees Luke Donald and Martin Kaymer, who both have a rich Ryder Cup history.
THE RYDER CUP TEAMS
Leading the United States for the first time as Captain is Steve Stricker, alongside decorated Vice Captains Fred Couples and Phil Mickelson, who between them featured in 20 Ryder Cup competitions.
Phil Mickelson stormed to victory at the PGA Championship this year, and did so sporting a white dial Rolex Cellini from the late 90s.
He’ll be hoping for a similar outcome this year.
Looking to win the trophy for the first time since 2016 are a host of Major winners in the US team including Rolex Testimonees Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, all of whom competed in 2018 and are currently in the top 15 of the Official World Golf Ranking.
Joining them and making his debut is 28-year-old Daniel Berger, who has recorded eight top-10 finishes on this season’s PGA Tour.
Testimonees returning from the victorious 2018 Europe line-up include veteran Paul Casey from England, whose experience will be invaluable at a fourth Ryder Cup appearance, and World No.1 and Major winner Jon Rahm from Spain.
Another Rolex Testimonee joining the Europeans is Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick, who made his Ryder Cup debut in 2016 as the youngest member of the team, aged 21.
Rolex is prevalent around the course and throughout both teams meaning that while we don’t know if the red or blue will emerge triumphant, we do know the green, white and gold will.
