GENEVA, 5 July 2017 – The 146th British Open returns to royal Birkdale Golf Club. Rolex has been the conference timekeeper for the event since 1981. Located in Southport, England, the club is world-famous for its challenging course. From 20 to 23 July, golf elites from all over the world will be here to win or lose.
Founded in 1860, the British Open is the oldest golf tournament and is held annually at the most exclusive Marina Course in the UK and Ireland. The venue location not only has consistent quality, but also unique terrain, which sets the test for the world's top golfers who are committed to lifting the wine jug trophy. The wine jug trophy awarded to the Champion Golfer of the Year is a classic, dating back to 1873.
The Royal Birkdale Club is no exception. The elite players who have won the title of "Champion of the Year" include Rolex's first golf spokesperson, Arnold Palmer, and another spokesman, Tom Watson. The former won the British Open in 1961, while the latter won the fifth Open title in nine years in 1983, an unprecedented record.
Seven of Rolex's spokespeople are British Open champions, and some have won multiple titles, winning a total of 18 titles. Among them are football legends Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus. The two, along with Arnold Pargamer, are known as the "Big Three." Nick Price from Zimbabwe also won the Wine Jug Trophy in 1994. Also winning the trophy was Tiger Woods, who won the title for the first time in 2000 and two consecutive titles in 2005 and 2006. Also included was 2013 champion Phil Mickelson.
Rolex's partnership with the British Open began in 1981, and the brand's clock has been on the pitch ever since, as well as with the tournament organizers and the global event's guardian R&A.
Speaking about the deep ties between Rolex and the British Open and golf, R&A Chief Executive Martin Slumbers said: "Rolex, like R&A, respects the traditions and heritage of golf and is therefore undoubtedly the ideal sponsor of the British Open and golf as a whole. ”
©ROLEX/CHRIS TURVEY at Royal Troon Golf Club, scoreboard for the 145th British Open
Witness the anniversary
2017 not only saw a fifty-year partnership between Rolex and the sport of golf, but also the fortieth anniversary of Tom Watson's and Jack Nicklaus' spectacular showdown at the 1977 British Open. The match is known as "The Duel in the Sun." At the sunny Turnberry stadium, both golfers showed great skill. After this match, the total number of four major titles won by the duo will reach 26. After the first three rounds of fierce competition, Watson and Nicklaus scored the same under-par number. In the fourth round, Watson finally beat Nicklaus by one stroke, setting a record of 268 (12 under par).
After this unusually tough game, Nicklaus showed admirable sportsmanship, put his arm around the shoulders of the new champion, and walked towards the scorekeeper in the midst of laughter. The two golfers always adhered to etiquette, cherished the way of respect, and promoted the spirit of sportsmanship in the game, and are still the model of Rolex spokespersons.
More than three decades later, in 2009, at turning Awayberry, Watson, who competed at the age of 59, missed the championship and failed to set a record for the oldest title in the four major competitions, raising the record to 11 years. This game of years has brought Tom Watson closer to the British Open. He has been a regular in this event for more than forty years.
©ROLEX/CHRIS TURVEY Rolex Spokesperson Phil Mickelson, 145th British Open, Royal Troon Golf Club
Unforgettable last year's showdown
At last year's British Open, spectators from around the world witnessed an equally spectacular showdown. Rolex spokesperson Phil Mickelson, one of the contestants, is an American who, if he wins, will win his sixth major four title of his career. Phil Mickelson, who won the 2013 British Open, admits that the victory made him feel like a "complete player". Tom Watson, also a Rolex spokesperson, watched the final 18 holes of the 145th British Open. He insisted that the two players in the competition were better than himself and Jack in 1977, but one thing was very similar was that the two male golfers also played out at the last minute. History proves that the British Open provides a unique stage for the most important event in golf. Top golfers from all over the world, whether they are fledgling or not old, professional or amateur, have the opportunity to show their skills on this international stage.
©ROLEX/CHRIS TURVEY five-time champion and Rolex spokesperson Tom Watson
Rolex Guardian of the New Generation
A young group of golfers eager to emulate the great champions of history and rolex spokesmen such as Palmer, Plyre, Nicklaus, Watson, Woods and Mickelson, with the goal of winning the Wine Jug Trophy and creating their own record on the course of the Royal Birkdale Club, thus inspiring future generations of golfers to follow in their footsteps.
These talented rookies include brooks Koepka, the most recent tournament winner, and former world number one and tournament winners Jason Day and Jordan Spieth. Both reached the final five at the 144th British Open in St Andrews. Daniel Berger, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Thorbjørn Olesen and Jon Rahm have joined them in hopes of winning the first major four title of their careers.
Also competing at the 146th British Open were Rickie Fowler, Hideki Matsuyama, Thomas Pieters, Justin Thomas and Adam Scott, all of whom were rising stars in the Rolex family. In the first two major golf tournaments held this year, they were ranked in the top ten, showing a level comparable to the champions.
©ROLEX/CHRIS TURVEY GRAPE POT TROPHY
Full support for events
To ensure the future development of golf, all-round support is essential. Rolex has always believed in this and is committed to supporting a number of golf popularization programs and amateur events. In this spirit, R&A presents the U.S. Amateur Championship to the British Amateur Championship and the U.S. Amateur Championship), Winner of the European Amateur Championship and winner of the Mark H McCormack Medal, sent invitations to the British Open. The Mark McCormeck Award is awarded to a player who has finished at the European Amateur Championships or the United States Amateur Championships, which is ranked first in the World Amateur Golf Rankings after the european amateur championships or the United States amateur championships have been held.
Players from the top 45 in the British Open Qualifying Series will also qualify. The Tour welcomes both amateur and professional players. Held in nine countries and territories across five continents, the tournament gives up-and-coming golfers the opportunity to demonstrate exceptional skills and raise awareness.