PGA Of America CEO Says Rolex Is “Most Powerful Brand In Golf”

Rolex Testimonee Matt Fitzpatrick hits a tee shot at the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.

Courtesy of Rolex/Thomas Lovelock

Rolex first made waves in sports sponsorship—literally—when Mercedes Gleitze wore a Rolex Oyster for 10+ hours as she swam across the English Channel in 1927.

Not only did the young English swimmer’s athletic achievement prove that the watch—which could fetch up to $1.3 million at auction in November—was indeed waterproof, but it also laid the foundation for the iconic Swiss brand’s significant role in sports.

Committed to celebrating human achievement, whether Gleitze’s marathon swim or Sir Malcolm Campbell’s quest to set the land speed record in 1935, Rolex was soon the timepiece of choice for the athletic and affluent.

Still synonymous with those same principles today, Rolex boasts an enduring legacy of prestige, history and success, particularly in golf.

“Rolex is our most valued partner at the PGA of America and with The Ryder Cup, but beyond the PGA of America, they’re the most powerful brand in golf,” PGA of America CEO Derek Sprague said. “They’ve been supporting golf for 60 years. You can’t turn on any golf around the world without seeing the Rolex brand.”

The brand’s long-standing partnership and investment in golf began with Arnold Palmer in 1967, who was quickly joined by Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player.

Not only did Rolex add to its growing list of Testimonees, but also its sponsorship of major golf events including The Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, U.S. Open and The Open. Spreading its support across all of golf, Rolex is also a partner of all five women’s major championships, including The Amundi Evian Championship, as well as men’s and women’s team competitions including The Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup and Solheim Cup.

A green Rolex clock proudly stands near the clubhouse of every golf course in the U.S. and internationally that hosted a major as a timeless reminder of prior achievement and performance.

“I feel like the way that they grow sports, but the women’s game in particular, is amazing,” said 2026 Solheim Cup European Team captain Anna Nordqvist, a Rolex Testimonee since 2009. “They support all the best events and really make a difference. … You need those core supporters for the sport to grow, and I feel like that’s where Rolex has always stepped in. They support (The Ryder Cup), but they also support the Solheim Cup, which I think is huge.

“There are lots of great companies supporting the game of golf, but they support men’s golf in particular or more than the women’s game, whereas Rolex has always supported more in equal measure. Those are the types of partnerships we need for the women’s game to grow.”

That equal investment and commitment to excellence in sports, particularly in golf, is also evident as Rolex sponsors the DP World Tour Rolex Series on the men’s side as well as the Rolex Women’s Golf Rankings, the first-ever comprehensive rankings system for women’s golf.

Not only does Rolex invest in the premier professional golf tournaments as much as it does the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) and top amateur competitions, but it calls the world’s top pros its Testimonees. The brand’s golf roster includes: Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Annika Sörenstam, Tiger Woods, Lydia Ko, Jeeno Thitikul, Bryson DeChambeau and Nordqvist.

With unmatched presence throughout golf, and particularly at The Ryder Cup, Rolex even boasts 2025 European Team winning captain Luke Donald as a Testimonee since 2006 and U.S. Team captain Keegan Bradley since 2024.

“I never expected to ever have a sponsorship with Rolex,” Bradley said ahead of the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. “That’s as prestigious of an honor you can have as a golfer and really as an athlete or anything. … It’s really an honor to be a part of the company.”