IN 1967 Rolex started a partnership with Arnold Palmer, who was then joined by two other luminaries in “The Big Three” — that will be Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. Since then Rolex never dropped the ball, or its, well, link with golf. The watchmaker continues to support every aspect of the sport, meaning its elite players, Majors and some of the most prestigious professional tours around the world.
From June 13 to 16 Rolex will mark the 40th time it will serve as official timekeeper to the US Open, one of the four annual Majors. And making the 119th edition of the US Open even more endearing for Rolex — the watchmaker has been its official timekeeper since 1980 — is that it will be held at the Pebble Beach Golf Links in California.
Pebble Beach, considered as one of the greatest courses in the world, is hosting the US Open for the sixth time.
Another thing that makes Pebble Beach special for the watchmaker is that Rolex Testimonee Brooks Koepka is set to lead the 156 top professional and amateur golfers who will compete at the US Open. In May Koepka clinched the 2019 PGA Championship, reclaiming World No. 1 ranking. This made him the first golfer to successfully defend two Major titles.
Koepka won his fourth Major at the Bethpage Black Course on New York’s Long Island after claiming the 2018 PGA title at Bellerive Country Club in Missouri. At Pebble Beach he will be aiming to become only the second golfer to win the US Open title three years in a row. This record was last set more than a century ago by Willie Anderson, who won the tournament in 1903, 1904 and 1905.
Should the 29-year-old Koepka win, he would join other Rolex Testimonees who have secured the US Open at Pebble Beach. Nicklaus in 1972 won his third title at the venue. In 1982 Tom Watson claimed his only US Open title there. Tiger Woods’ victory at the course in 2000 was the first on the way to him holding all four Major titles at the same time.
For Rolex Testimonee Phil Mickelson, Pebble Beach offers him a shot at clinching the one Major which have managed to elude him.
Koepka, Woods and Mickelson will be joined at Pebble Beach by the Rolex New Guard, young golfers whose game belies their years. Among them are Rolex Testimonees Rickie Fowler and Hideki Matsuyama, who have both been runners-up at the US Open; Fowler tied for second in 2014 while Matsuyama did the same in 2017.
Besides the abovementioned names, 16 other Rolex Testimonees are set to descend on Pebble Beach.
