Rolex and golf

Striving for perpetual excellence

For the future of the game

Rolex’s commitment to golf goes beyond supporting the leading tournaments and athletes. Our role is global. We partner with the governing bodies that regulate the game of golf. Our brand is committed to the top amateur events and is just as active in supporting emerging young talent, helping to perpetuate the values of the sport and working towards its future.

A sport in perpetual evolution

They are the very essence of the sport, and they are constantly evolving. The Rules of Golf are the edicts all players, as well as those organizing competitions throughout the world, must refer to, implement and abide by. They are published every four years under the aegis of The R&A (the organization spun off from The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews to assume its governance duties) and the USGA (United States Golf Association), the supreme authorities in this field. As a partner of these two governing bodies, we support the adaptation and distribution of the rules throughout the world, thereby contributing to the perpetual excellence and constant evolution of the discipline.

Supporting rising talent

Rolex is committed to the future of golf through its support of the competitions and institutions that foster new talents. As such, since 1986 our brand has been a privileged partner of the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) and Official Timepiece of its Junior-Am tour, which welcomes players from the age of 12. Great players such as Ludvig Åberg, Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth, Lexi Thompson and Tiger Woods claimed their first titles there. The Junior-Am season begins in January with the ANNIKA Invitational presented by Rolex and concludes with the Rolex Tournament of Champions.

Without the AJGA, it would be very difficult for college coaches to find us. Every junior golfer in the country knows about the AJGA and knows that it’s the way to get into college. And the way to go beyond college.

Jordan Spieth

Youth in the spotlight

Rolex is encouraging the next generation of women golfers with the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Award, which honours the best young players in their first year on the professional tour. Rolex Testimonees Annika Sörenstam (1994), Lorena Ochoa (2003) and Lydia Ko (2014) are among those to have won the award. In 2022, it was awarded to Atthaya Thitikul.

We also contribute to the development of junior and amateur golf, notably through the Rolex Junior Player of the Year awards, which recognize the best young amateur golfers. Through the Rolex Scholastic All-America Awards, our brand also annually rewards the best athletes who successfully balance sporting results and academic excellence.

This is the ultimate achievement for juniors and I feel extremely lucky to see my name alongside the best golfers.

Rose Zhang, Rolex Junior Player of the Year, 2019, 2020

The World Amateur Golf Ranking

Since 2012, Rolex has been a Founding Partner of the World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®), which is the official world ranking of non-professional golfers. Each week, it tracks their performance by compiling their results from the 5,500 amateur tournaments played on the various tours around the world. Among the champions who have held the No. 1 amateur ranking before turning professional are Rolex Testimonees Lydia Ko, Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm and Atthaya Thitikul.

The Arnold Palmer Cup

The Arnold Palmer Cup is a mixed team competition that brings together the best men and women university players of different nationalities in the United States. Supported by Rolex, it adopts the same playing format as The Ryder Cup and pits a USA team against an international team. The tournament takes place on renowned courses around the world. The Swiss player Albane Valenzuela, the Spaniard Jon Rahm, the Swede Ludvig Åberg and the United States trio of Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa and Rose Zhang have all made their mark in this competition and gone on to become Rolex Testimonees.