Style Edit: Rolex continues decades-long support of The Open, golf’s oldest major

Since 1981, the tournament has been in partnership with its horological counterpart, a brand with an equally illustrious history and stellar reputation: Rolex. Its role as the Official Timekeeper of The Open and of its organiser The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (often shortened to The R&A), is part of the Swiss luxury watchmaker’s commitment to the sport stretching back nearly six decades. It also extends to the other tournaments that constitute the pinnacle of the game too: the other men’s and women’s majors, as well as its leading tours and team events.

On top of this, the watchmaker has provided its support to numerous legends of the game. Among those given the coveted status of Rolex Testimonee are greats including Tiger Woods, Tom Watson, Annika Sörenstam, Bryson DeChambeau, Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler.

This year’s Open returns to one of its most celebrated venues, Royal Birkdale in the northwest of England, which has hosted the tournament on 10 previous occasions, starting in 1954. Over the years, this classic links course, where players navigate between towering sand dunes and often must deal with blustery breezes off the Irish Sea, has borne witness to numerous indelible scenes from golfing history. That includes two such moments provided by members of the Rolex-affiliated trio who dominated the sport during the 1960s and helped to transform it into the global spectacle it is today.

First, in 1961, Arnold Palmer lifted the winner’s famous Claret Jug, securing victory after saving par at the 15th hole of his final round with a remarkable recovery shot out of a blackberry bush – a feat commemorated to this day with a stone plaque.

Then, the next time Royal Birkdale hosted the tournament, in 1966, Jack Nicklaus, winner of a record 18 major tournaments, secured his first Open title to complete a career grand slam of the four majors.