Photo: DR

Founded in 1860, The Open is the original championship of golf and is held annually on top links across the UK and Ireland. Each of the prestigious venues offers consistent quality and a unique setting, designed to challenge the world's best golfers to lift the coveted Claret Jug - the iconic trophy awarded to Champion Golfer of the Year, since 1873.

The Royal Birkdale is no exception. The elite of players to have been crowned Golf Champion of the Year here included Arnold Palmer, in 1961, as well as Tom Watson, in 1983, when he won his fifth The Open title, an unprecedented performance in nine years. .

Tom Watson, five-time Golfer Champion of the Year - © Rolex / Chris Turvey

Rolex has participated in The Open since 1981, where its iconic clocks first adorned the championship links and developed a lasting relationship in official partnership with the organizers and custodians of The R&A championship.

Regarding the longevity of the relationship between Rolex and The Open and more broadly with golf, Martin Slumbers, Managing Director of The R&A, said: “Like The R&A, Rolex respects the traditions and heritage of the game, which makes it an ideal partner for The Open, as well as the sport of golf more broadly. "

A year of birthdays

In addition to being the 50th anniversary of the history between Rolex and Golf, 2017 marks the 40th anniversary of the edition where Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus contested the title of The Open 1977 in what we would call " The Duel in the Sun ”. Both players played like masters during that sunny week at Turnberry, displaying the same skill that saw them win a total of 26 major titles between the two of them. The first three rounds saw Watson and Nicklaus achieve identical scores under Par, relentless in their desire to win. In the fourth round, Watson finally scored a decisive blow, reaching what was then a record score of 268 (-12).

After this fierce fight, Nicklaus showed off his incredible sportsmanship, throwing his arm around the shoulder of the newly crowned champion as they walked towards the scorer's tent, talking and laughing. Both golfers displayed the principles of etiquette, respect and sporting behavior that embody Rolex's testimonials to this day.

About thirty years later, Watson approached another historic moment of The Open at Turnberry, when in 2009, at the age of 59, he missed becoming the biggest major winner. for 11 years. This anti-aging effort fostered the bond between Tom Watson and The Open, a league he has played in for over 40 years.

Phil Mickelson at the 145th edition of The Open, Royal Troon - © Rolex / Chris Turvey

A recent duel to remember

Last year at The Open, spectators around the world witnessed a similar battle, this time with Phil Mickelson, as the American coveted his sixth major victory in a championship that had made him feel "like the complete player" following his 2013 win. After watching every second of the final 18 holes of the 145th edition of The Open, Watson insisted that the players involved played "better golf than Jack and me in 1977 ”but that“ it was very similar, in the sense that two men entered into a duel at the end ”. The past is proof that The Open provides a unique setting for some of the biggest sporting leagues, where the best players in the world - young or old, professional or not - have the opportunity to show their abilities on the world stage.

The scoreboard for the 145th edition of The Open, Royal Troon - © Rolex / Chris Turvey

The new guard

A new wave of young golfers eager to emulate former champions and history players like Palmer, Player, Nicklaus, Watson, Woods and Mickelson, will seek to make their own mark on the game at Royal Birkdale by winning the Claret Jug and in doing so, inspiring future generations of golfers to follow in their wake.

Among these exceptionally talented individuals are the most recent winner, Brooks Koepka, as well as former golfers from around the world and the main winners Jason Day and Jordan Spieth, both of the top five at St Andrews at the 144th edition of The Open. They will be joined by Daniel Berger, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Thorbjørn Olesen and Jon Rahm, all eager to win their first Major.

Other emerging stars will contest the 146th edition of The Open, including Rickie Fowler, Hideki Matsuyama, Thomas Pieters, Justin Thomas and Adam Scott. With the 10 best results of the first two majors of the year, they showed a level of performance at the height of the championship.