Tiger Woods has five green jackets, Jack Nicklaus six, Arnold Palmer four, Gary Player three: all four have been ambassadors for the same watch brand. Where did the alliance between haute horlogerie and golf come from, and where can you see it in Italy too?
Golf is a slow sport, with long pauses and a crowd that checks its watch more often than it admits. Perhaps that is why it has become hunting ground for haute horlogerie: brands that sell precision and durability find a game that lives on tradition, written rules and tournaments that have been repeated for a century. What follows is a story of sponsorship, told through dates, with the trade press and Wikipedia cited wherever they are the ones reporting it.
1967: three champions and a handshake
According to press releases picked up by the trade press, Rolex's relationship with golf began in 1967, when Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, known as the "Big Three", became the brand's first golf ambassadors.
The tally of those three names at the Masters, according to the same source, is striking: Palmer four green jackets, Nicklaus six, Player three; to them is added Tiger Woods with five. The story of the ambassadors is the thread that holds the later sponsorships together: first the person, then the tournaments.
From ambassadors to tournaments: the Masters and the European Tour
The next step is partnership with the competitions themselves. Rolex states that it has been a partner of the Masters Tournament since 1999; after more than twenty years, Augusta remains on its list of international partners. On the European circuit, according to Wikipedia, Rolex has been official timekeeper since 1997, and in January 2026 the two parties announced a long-term extension of the agreement.
In 2017, to celebrate twenty years of collaboration, the Rolex Series was born: a group of tournaments with higher prize funds, eight events with a minimum of $7 million each. In 2025, according to the same source, the series counts five worth $9 million, except for the DP World Tour Championship at $10 million. Among the 2017-2019 stops was also the Italian Open, according to Wikipedia: for three years the Italian tournament sat in the richest tier of the circuit.
Rolex is not the only name to sign up golf, and not all sponsorships involve watches. The title of the Italian Open, for example, has changed sponsor many times: Atlanet in 2001, Telecom Italia in 2007, BMW in 2012, Lindt in 2013 and DS Automobiles in 2026.
Omega European Masters: the Swiss tournament with a watch in its name
Another case is the Omega European Masters, played at Crans-Montana, at the Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club (par 70, 6,824 yards). The tournament began as the Swiss Open in 1923; in 1983 it took the prefix "European Masters" and in 1992 it dropped the name Swiss Open.
For an Italian there is a detail worth citing: in the 1971 edition, according to Wikipedia, Baldovino Dassù was the first player on the European circuit to shoot 60 in a round of 18 holes.
Where to see it in Italy
In Italy you can play on the courses that have hosted the great tournaments. If you want to measure your shots on the fairways where the professionals played:
- Marco Simone, in Guidonia: hosted the 2023 Ryder Cup (Europe-United States 16.5 to 11.5) and the 2021, 2022 and 2023 editions of the Italian Open. In 2026 the 18-hole green fee costs 195 euros in low season and 270 in high season.
- GardaGolf, in Soiano del Lago: hosted the Italian Open in 1997, 2003 and 2018; for 18 holes the published price list runs from 100 to 160 euros.
- Circolo Golf Torino La Mandria: its Italian Opens are those of 1999, 2013 and 2014.
- Circolo Golf Villa d'Este: twelve Italian Opens, a record, and in 2026 the course's centenary.
And speaking of watches on the wrist: Rule 4.3a of the Rules of Golf allows the use of a device to measure distance or direction, so a GPS watch too, but prohibits functions that measure elevation changes or wind speed. Before playing a competition, check which functions yours has.
Where the tournaments fall, where to sleep
To see a major tournament and sleep in a hotel with a historic course behind it, Villa d'Este in Cernobbio is a possible base: the Montorfano club, about 14 km away, has staged twelve Italian Opens, and the hotel bought it back in 2024.
Frequently asked questions
Since when has Rolex been in golf?+
Since 1967, when Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player became the brand's first golf ambassadors, according to press releases picked up by the trade press.
Does Rolex sponsor the Masters?+
Rolex states that it has been a partner of the Masters Tournament since 1999 and is still an international partner of Augusta National today.
What is the Rolex Series?+
A group of European Tour (now DP World Tour) tournaments launched in 2017 for the twenty years of partnership, with higher prize funds: eight events with a minimum of $7 million at the start.
Was the Italian Open part of the Rolex Series?+
According to Wikipedia, yes, from 2017 to 2019.
What is the Omega European Masters?+
The tournament at Crans-Montana, Switzerland, which began as the Swiss Open in 1923 and has been called the European Masters since 1983.
Can I use a GPS watch on the course?+
Yes, Rule 4.3a allows a device for distance or direction; functions for elevation changes or wind speed are not permitted.
