Rolex and Golf

In recent times Rolex has been very much behind the drive to bring golf into China. Despite the long heritage and traditions associated with golf in the west, just over 30 years ago, the sport was practically non-existent in the world’s most populous nation. In 2010 Rolex signed a partnership agreement with the China Golf Association and sponsored the first official translation of the Rules of Golf into Chinese. It marked a determination by the brand, not just to be associated with sport but to further its reach into what is the world’s fastest growing economy.

This link with China has been extended to the WGC-HSBC Champions, unquestionably the biggest golf event in Asia, where Rolex features as an official sponsor.

Rolex’s gung-ho approach to golf is understandable when you consider that the two share many values - values that have drawn them closer together since the 1960s. No watch brand - or indeed any brand of any kind - has had quite the impact on the game that Rolex has. Certainly Wilsdorf’s fellow countryman Martin Kaymer, a former winner of the US Open and the PGA Championship, is quick to point out the brand’s small touches that resonate with the players during the Ryder Cup, a biennial team event that pits the best players from Europe and the United States. A favourite with the players are the timepieces that Rolex presents to every member of each European Ryder Cup team. At each Ryder Cup, in consultation with the non-playing team captain, the Rolex watches are specially engraved with the Ryder Cup emblem on the back and presented to the players on the eve of the event.