Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, 15 June 2021 – One of the most stunning golf venues in the world, Torrey Pines South Course in San Diego, California, will host the 121st edition of the U.S. Open from 17–20 June. Rolex has been the Official Timekeeper at this Major championship since 1980.
This Championship has a formidable reputation, with low scoring often a challenge. To reign supreme, competitors must play with precision, consistency and resilience, attributes that define Rolex’s own pioneering spirit and quest for perpetual excellence, in its watchmaking and all other endeavours.
Situated atop cliffs towering above the Pacific Ocean, it last hosted the U.S. Open in 2008, when Rolex Testimonee Tiger Woods clinched his third championship in dramatic fashion, prevailing after 91 gruelling holes despite being hampered by injuries.
For more than 50 years, Rolex and golf have developed one of the most successful and enduring relationships between a brand and sport. The affiliation began in 1967 when Arnold Palmer became the brand’s first Testimonee in the sport, joined by his friends and great rivals Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. The Big Three, as they were affectionately known, won a combined 34 Majors including six U.S. Open titles, demonstrating the pedigree required to succeed at this esteemed event.
Through pivotal partnerships with organizations responsible for overseeing the sport, including the United States Golf Association (USGA) – which conducts the U.S. Open – Rolex has become intimately linked with golf, extending its support to all levels of the game and helping to uphold its great traditions.
DEFENDING CHAMPION Rolex Testimonee Bryson DeChambeau returns to the community of La Jolla in his home state aiming to become just the fourth player to win back-to-back U.S. Open titles. If he were to do so, the 27-year-old would join fellow Americans and Rolex Testimonees Curtis Strange (1988, 1989) and Brooks Koepka (2017, 2018) in completing the feat.
The reigning U.S. Open champion, whose analytical approach to the game is supplemented by remarkable power and distance off the tee, continues to influence the way the game is played, paving the way for the next generation of talent to extend the frontiers of golfing achievement.
DeChambeau’s final round in last year’s U.S. Open at Winged Foot was lauded as one of the most dominant in any Major of the modern era. With that victory, he became the third American, after Nicklaus and Woods, to have won national titles at college, amateur and professional level, those being the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) individual title, the U.S. Amateur Championship and the U.S. Open.
HISTORY IN THE MAKING Joining DeChambeau are a group of fellow Rolex Testimonees with proven Major credentials.
Less than a month after becoming the oldest Major winner in history by taking the PGA Championship at age 50, Phil Mickelson arrives in his home town of San Diego with another milestone in his sights. The American will be looking to complete a career Grand Slam and join Nicklaus, Player and Woods in achieving the rare golfing feat of winning all four Major championships.
Koepka, meanwhile, shares the U.S. Open scoring record, having posted a 16-under par total in his maiden triumph in 2017, while fellow American Jordan Spieth, a three-time Major winner, became the tournament’s youngest champion since 1923 when he claimed victory in 2015, aged 21.
Hideki Matsuyama, who tied for second behind Koepka four years ago, became the first Japanese man to win a Major at this year’s Masters Tournament. He has enjoyed an exceptional start to his season, firmly establishing himself as one of the finest golfers in the world.
The 2017 U.S. Open was also notable for the scintillating third-round display by Justin Thomas. The former World No. 1 broke the record for the lowest score to par in the championship’s history with a spectacular nine-under 63. Less than two months later he won his first Major at the PGA Championship.
DISTINGUISHED COMPANY & THE ROLEX NEW GUARD Spain’s Jon Rahm and Matthew Fitzpatrick of England both possess the natural talent to break through for their first Major victory. The former has been one of golf’s most outstanding performers in recent years, capturing four Rolex Series titles and reaching the pinnacle of the Official World Golf Rankings in 2020, while the latter has won six titles on The European Tour and is regarded by many as capable of achieving the highest honours.
Also seeking a first Major trophy is a new generation of outstanding talent. Known collectively as the Rolex New Guard, they play the game with integrity, maturity and respect and are recognized as being among the world’s most promising golfers.
Two New Guard members travelling to the Pacific Coast are American Cameron Champ and South Korea’s Sunjae Im. Both have won on the PGA TOUR® and posted top 10 Major finishes. They will be joined by Chile’s Joaquín Niemann, another member of this exciting band of young players who represent the future of the game and are ready to inspire the golfing stars of tomorrow.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
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ROLEX TESTIMONEE U.S. OPEN WINNERS Arnold Palmer (1960) | Jack Nicklaus (1962, 1967, 1972, 1980) | Gary Player (1965) | Tom Watson (1982) | Curtis Strange (1988, 1989) | Tiger Woods (2000, 2002, 2008) | Retief Goosen (2001, 2004) | Martin Kaymer (2014) | Jordan Spieth (2015) | Brooks Koepka (2017, 2018) | Bryson DeChambeau (2020)
ABOUT ROLEX AND GOLF Rolex is committed to the permanent quest for excellence in all its endeavours and has been a long-term supporter of golf in its pursuit of the same. The brand’s enduring relationship with the sport began more than 50 years ago, in 1967, when Arnold Palmer, joined by Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, became the brand’s first golfing Testimonees. Known together as The Big Three, these legendary players changed the face of golf forever, and their partnership with Rolex marked the beginning of a relationship based on the shared commitment to continuous improvement and unwavering precision. Since then, the affiliation has grown and flourished, permeating every level of the game worldwide.
From elite players and golf legends, to all the game’s Major championships, where success represents the pinnacle of achievement in the sport, as well as the foremost professional tours and worldwide amateur championships, Rolex is ever-present. In 2021 Rolex further deepened its support by becoming a Worldwide Partner of The Ryder Cup, to act as Official Timekeeper at every iteration of the sport’s pre-eminent team competition. The Swiss manufacturer’s support for the game is built on a strong sense of integrity and respect for tradition that promote the continuity of expertise and transfer of knowledge, and an understanding of the importance of investing in the sport’s development for future generations.
ABOUT ROLEX An unrivalled reputation for quality and expertise
Rolex is an integrated and independent Swiss watch manufacture. Headquartered in Geneva, the brand is recognized the world over for its expertise and the quality of its products – symbols of excellence, elegance and prestige. The movements of its Oyster Perpetual and Cellini watches are certified by COSC, then tested in-house for their precision, performance and reliability. The Superlative Chronometer certification, symbolized by the green seal, confirms that each watch has successfully undergone tests conducted by Rolex in its own laboratories according to its own criteria. These are periodically validated by an independent external organization.
The word “Perpetual” is inscribed on every Rolex Oyster watch. But more than just a word on a dial, it is a philosophy that embodies the company’s vision and values. Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of the company, instilled a notion of perpetual excellence that would drive the company forward. This led Rolex to pioneer the development of the wristwatch and numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, and the Perpetual rotor self-winding mechanism, invented in 1931. In the course of its history, Rolex has registered over 500 patents. At its four sites in Switzerland, the brand designs, develops and produces the majority of its watch components, from the casting of the gold alloys to the machining, crafting, assembly and finishing of the movement, case, dial and bracelet. Furthermore, the brand is actively involved in supporting the arts and culture, sport and exploration, as well as those who are devising solutions to preserve the planet.
