Rolex and golf: a constant for almost 60 years
With Augusta National Golf Club almost under complete darkness, legendary caddie Steve Williams stepped in when Australia’s Adam Scott asked him to read the most important putt of his life. It was a birdie putt of four metres, on the 10th green at Augusta National, during the second hole of a sudden-death playoff at the 2013 Masters. With his opponent having already missed birdie, Scott’s putt was to win. A career-first major title was on the line. He could become the first Australian to win the Masters in its 77-year history. Scott wanted it all, more than anything he’d ever wanted.
With darkness almost blanketing the usually vibrant green surrounds of golf’s most famous course, Scott told Williams he thought the putt was breaking about one cup, or four inches, but had doubts. Williams, who caddied for Tiger Woods during three Masters victories, told him, “That’s not even close. It’s two-and-a-half cups. Trust me.” Scott drained the putt, and the rest, well, it wasn’t just history – it became folklore.
Two months later, at the US Open at Merion Golf Club near Philadelphia, Scott repaid his caddie.
“We had a really nice moment when he got all his team around – myself, his coach, his manager and his trainer,” Williams recalls. “He organised a nice dinner where he presented us with a gift that would help us forever remember that victory.”
The gift was a Rolex with “2013 Masters” inscribed on it. Williams was moved. This timepiece would forever capture a memory; every time he looks at it at home, it triggers vivid images of helping Scott don Augusta National’s famous green jacket.
Williams’ story is one of many moments when Rolex, for nearly 60 years, has sat alongside golf as a meaningful partner, a timekeeper and a constant in an ever-changing game. It is a motif that represents the history of the sport.
Ask Scott himself. Last year marked the 25th anniversary of Rolex’s partnership with the Masters Tournament. As a Rolex Testimonee and a Masters champion, Scott says the two names go hand-in-hand.
“As a golfer, I am grateful to Rolex, and any company for that matter, that is a long-term supporter of the game,” Scott reflected. “Rolex has an alliance with golf and marries up nicely with a long-term view of the game. There is such a great history in the game and the Rolex brand that they match up well together. Rolex is always looking to be No.1 in all its endeavours – both in its industry and golf. Being at the Masters, for example, is a must, and I think that Rolex and the Masters are possibly the two most powerful brands in the game.”
For golf more broadly, Rolex’s association spans almost six wonderful, dynamic and memorable decades. Golf’s evolution through the introduction of television, the boom of the Masters, the maturation of the Open Championship, and the fine-tuning of the US Open and PGA Championship has mirrored the balance of tradition and innovation Rolex has embraced. And that’s without mentioning the greats who have arrived in golf during varying periods of dominance: Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, to name only a small group. Rolex’s association with golf has evolved into one of the most iconic collaborations in the history of sports.
The Origins: A handshake that defined an era
Rolex’s enduring relationship with golf was formed by a symbolic handshake with Arnold Palmer in 1967. The moment marked the beginning of a transformative era inspired by Palmer’s sportsmanship, charisma and reverence for tradition. Soon after, Palmer was joined by Nicklaus and Player – the “Big Three”. Together, these titans elevated the game and Rolex’s stature within it. The Big Three and Rolex embodied golf’s values of integrity, precision and perseverance.
In 1980, Rolex became a visible presence in global golf by partnering with the United States Golf Association and the US Open. A year later, Rolex became the first official timekeeper of The Open, the world’s oldest golf championship. Within five years, Rolex became the official timekeeper of the American Junior Golf Association, ensuring future generations were already steeped in the history of golf.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, as Woods arrived and took golf into another stratosphere of popularity, Rolex strengthened its ties through partnerships with the Masters and the Ryder Cup, becoming the official timekeeper at Augusta National in 1999. Now a tournament partner, Rolex’s involvement in the Masters extends beyond timing – the brand supports the Masters Tournament Foundation, which promotes golf’s development globally. In 2019, Rolex partnered with the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur, a tournament that bolstered women’s amateur golf.
In 2021, Rolex also became the official partner and timekeeper of the PGA of America, including its flagship event, the PGA Championship. This partnership places Rolex at the heart of all four men’s majors and all five women’s majors.
Perhaps the tournament where Rolex’s relationship with golf is most obvious is the Open Championship, which Rolex has partnered with since 1981. In 2018, Rolex became the premier partner. The Open, with its iconic claret jug, is not just a test of skill but a celebration of golf’s enduring legacy. Part of its charm lies in its rotation around sacred links courses such as Royal Birkdale, Carnoustie and the Old Course at St Andrews. The Open is steeped in history.
It’s a championship Scott has in his sights for 2025, a quarter of a century after turning professional. We can only imagine the Rolex he’d inscribe should he triumph at a major for a second time.
