Rolex is set to be the Official Timekeeper at The Open for the 38th consecutive year.
The 147th Open will start tomorrow and the Swiss-based watchmaker will be there every step of the way until the winner is crowned on Sunday.
This year’s major will take place at Carnoustie Golf Links, with Rolex ambassador Jordan Spieth making an attempt to defend his title following a dramatic win last year at Royal Birkdale.
Rolex has a long standing relationship with golf and has been in partnership with some of the top golfers for years.
It started with Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Arnold Palmer, also known as the ‘Big Three’, in the 60s when Palmer became Rolex’s first golf testimonee.
Now Rolex relies on what it calls ‘The New Guard’ to come up with the goods and the Swiss watchmaker has a lengthy list of top professionals representing the brand.
There are a number of testimonees joining Jordan Spieth at this year’s championship, including back to back US Open winner Brooks Koepka, 3-time Open champion Tiger Woods who last won the event in 2006, and former world number one Justin Thomas who will be hoping to improve on last year’s performance when he failed to make the cut.
Established in 1860, The Open is golf’s original championship and is staged annually on the finest links courses across the United Kingdom. Eight of Rolex’s Testimonees have won The Open, several of them on multiple occasions for a total of 19 titles.
Since becoming the Official Timekeeper, Rolex’s relationship has developed into an official partnership with the championship organiser and guardian of the global game, The R&A.
Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, thinks the relationship between Rolex and The Open is a special one.
He said: “Golfing history has been written with Rolex as Patron of The Open, with nearly 40 Champion Golfers of the Year being crowned since its partnership with The R&A began, but at the heart of the relationship is a shared commitment to the global game, and Rolex’s support extends to the Rules of Golf, the new World Handicap System and expansion of the amateur game including Championships in the Latin America and Asia Pacific regions.”
Rolex has released this video in the build up to the competition.
https://youtu.be/x5QGzQsrPHw
Here is the full list of Rolex Testimonees qualified for this year’s Open Championship at Carnoustie Golf Links:
Daniel Berger, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Paul Casey, Nicolas Colsaerts, Jason Day, Bryson DeChambeau, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Rickie Fowler, Retief Goosen, Martin Kaymer, Brooks Koepka, Anirban Lahiri, Bernhard Langer, Haotong Li, Hideki Matsuyama, Phil Mickelson, Thorbjørn Olesen, Thomas Pieters, Jon Rahm, Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Tiger Woods.
