TIGER AND ROLEX: Two Giants Making Sports History—Again.

Carrying on the tradition of uniting Rolex with golf, Tiger Woods joined forces with Rolex in 2011. It’s not the first time the two greats have partnered: when Tiger turned pro in 1996 at the age of 20, he secured an endorsement deal with the Rolex brand, Tudor.

The initial relationship between golf and Rolex can be traced back to the 1960s as Rolex formed partnerships with the “Big Three” of the golf universe: greats Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. The pairing has endured for 50 years, and other leaders in the sport supported by the brand include Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler, Annika Sorenstam, Adam Scott and Phil Mickelson, to name a few.

In addition to Rolex, Tiger has endorsement deals with Nike Golf, NetJets, Upper Deck and Fuse Science Inc., among others. According to Forbes, he became the world’s first billion-dollar athlete in 2009, with Golf Digest further stating in February that Woods has racked up a grand total of $1.3 billion in earnings, the bulk of which comes from endorsements.

It’s no surprise that Rolex took on a sports figure as monumental as Tiger Woods, who has won 79 official PGA tour events and 14 majors and has been PGA Player of the Year a record 11 times—including 2013. The company said in a statement: “Rolex is convinced that Tiger Woods still has a long career ahead of him, and that he has all the qualities required to continue to mark the history of golf.”

On his official website blog, Tiger was confident in his chance at another victory as he posted on December 19th: “I’m really excited about the major championships next year. I’ve won at three of the four venues—Augusta National, Valhalla Golf Club and Royal Liverpool—and on Pinehurst No. 2 (U.S. Open), I’m trending the right way, having finished third and second. But I still need to practice, work, grind and prepare, and have my game come together those four times a year, and I hope that will happen.” Sources claim that Woods typically sports the Rolex Skydweller, Daydate, and Deepsea timepieces. He does not, however, normally wear a watch during any actual golf tournaments.

The post TIGER AND ROLEX: Two Giants Making Sports History—Again. appeared first on Bezel & Barrel written by Michael DiMartini.