The Watches of Top Golfers

The game of golf and the art of watchmaking share much in common — paramount to these are passion for the game, superior performance, and the unending pursuit of excellence. For many decades now, watch brands have delighted in sponsoring prestigious golf tournaments and supporting elite players.

Whether they’re on the field or off-duty, golf’s most prominent players almost always have a top notch timepiece on their wrist. Here are the watches of the world’s top golfers, then and now:

Tiger Woods is widely regarded as one of the greatest golf players of all time; and one of the best known athletes in history. With 18 World Golf Championships, he is also a Golf Hall of Fame inductee.

When he’s not playing golf, Tiger is spending his time surfing or scuba diving – so it makes sense that his favorite watches are Rolex Deepsea models. Especially created for saturation diving, the Seadweller Deepsea can reach depths of up to 12,800 feet.

The robust 44mm case not only keeps up with Tiger on the field and at sea – it even looks good within casual and formal settings. He wears the classic Deepsea 44 and the D-Blue edition with a gradient blue to black dial. Photos from Tiger Woods on Instagram

Legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus has made an indelible mark on the sport. In his almost 40-year career, Jack won 18 Major championships and became the first back-to-back winner of the Masters.

Jack has been wearing a yellow gold Rolex Day-Date with a champagne dial since the 1960s. Jack says he has worn it everywhere since, and it stood as a witness in all his major career and personal achievements. Photo from Jack Nicklaus on Instagram

Rolex’s support of the sport dates back to the 1960s – the era of Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Gary Player – better known as “The Big Three”. They are credited for modernizing the sport and making it popular worldwide.

Through all that, they each wore gold Rolex Day-Date watches on their wrists. Arnold Palmer was also known to wear a yellow gold Rolex Submariner and the original Rolex Submariner Kermit with a green aluminum bezel. Photo from Gary Palmer on Instagram

The current crop of champions wear their favorite timepieces while playing. Reigning PGA Champion Phil Mickelson makes an unconventional choice on the field, with his Rolex Cellini watches.

The Cellini is Rolex’s dedicated line of “Tuxedo” timepieces — a refreshing addition to their portfolio of Oyster-cased tool watches. During the PGA tour, Phil wore a Cellini Danaos which features a vibrant dial with Arabic numerals. Photos from Phil Mickelson on Instagram

We’ve also spotted him with a Rolex Cellini Prince. The Cellini Prince is a true standout in Rolex’s collection of round watches. The rectangular timepiece with Art Deco styling goes all the way back to 1928, and was re-introduced in 2005 as an ultra-sophisticated dress watch. Photos from Boardroom on Twitter

Spanish golfer Jon Rahm currently holds the Number 1 position in the Official World Golf Ranking, and just this year became the first Spanish golfer to win the U.S. Open. Through these milestones, he had his usual blue dial Rolex Sky-Dweller on his wrist.

Crafted in stainless steel and with an 18k white gold fluted bezel, this version of the world traveller’s watch is sporty, stately, and sophisticated all at the same time. A perfect choice for the trailblazing athlete. Photos from Jon Rahm on Instagram

Not all golfers wear Rolex though! Collin Morikawa, former World Number 1, enjoyed a meteoric rise in the industry after making his professional debut in 2019.

He wasted no time in claiming his first PGA Championship the year after, and also joined Omega’s star-studded stable of ambassadors in the same year. Collin wears an Omega Speedmaster 57 on the field. With its straight lugs and broad arrow hands, it is reminiscent of the pioneer Speedmaster, while being powered by a modern caliber. Photos from Collin Morikawa on Instagram