Feature: What Do These 5 Golfing Legends Wear On Their Wrists?
Today—September 30th—marks the beginning of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland. The championship was first established in 2001, has a very appealing prize of around £4,000,000 and is held at the legendary St Andrews course in Fife, the “Home Of Golf”.
This event got me thinking, St Andrews is one of the most legendary courses in the world, so what do the most legendary players wear on their wrists? Let’s find out, shall we?
Jack Nicklaus – Rolex Day-Date
Considered one of the greatest golfers of all time, Jack Nicklaus has 18 major championships under his belt—and after his win at the 1966 Masters, he became the tournament’s first back-to-back winner.
Jack Nicklaus wears a Rolex Day-Date—and he has done since 1966. Nicklaus attended a Rolex cocktail party at the Canada Cup in Tokyo with Arnold Palmer and Gary Player—two other legends in golf—and as a thank you, Rolex said he could pick a watch. The Day-Date was chosen because Gary Player said: “That’s the best one”.
Phil Mickelson – Rolex Cellini & Yacht-Master
Phil Mickelson is 51 years old and is showing no sign of slowing down. He has three Masters titles, two PGA Championships—the second of which he won at the beginning of 2021, age 50, making him the oldest player ever to do so—and one Open Championship.
Mickelson has been a Rolex ambassador for a long time now and is often seen wearing his lucky late 90s white dial Cellini Ref. 4233. But, of course, he doesn’t wear this during the rounds; no, that’s left to something a little more professional: an Everose Yacht-Master.
Nick Faldo – Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
Nick Faldo—or should I say, Sir Nick Faldo, MBE—was one of the best golfers in the 80s/90s. In terms of titles, Faldo has won six major championships: three Open Championships and three Masters. He also ranked No. 1 for 97 weeks.
Faldo, throughout his illustrious career, has sported many different versions of the Royal Oak. His partnership with Audemars Piguet has also seen not one but three special editions created in his name. The first—the ref. 14790—was released in 1992, was rose gold and limited to just 325 pieces. The second came out in 1997, the Royal Oak Nick Faldo Edition, which was stainless steel and limited to 150 pieces. The final watch—the ref. 15190—was released in 2002, limited to 450 pieces and featured a stainless-steel case with a platinum bezel.
Fun fact: the limited editions from 1997 and 2002 both came with a full set of AP-branded golf clubs—and you thought the accessories that came with an Omega Speedmaster were elaborate.
Rory McIlroy – Omega Speedmaster & Aqua Terra
The most recent legend on our list, Rory McIlroy, MBE, is only 32 but has spent 100 weeks ranked No. 1, has won the U.S. Open, the Open Championship and two PGA Championships.
McIlroy has been affiliated with Omega for years, meaning he's worn quite a few different models. Two stick out, however. The first is the Speedmaster "Rory McIlroy" Special Edition—a variation of the Speedmaster ’57 in yellow gold to commemorate a 61 course record that 16-year-old McIlroy achieved at the Royal Portrush Golf Club. The second is a little more high-tech, the 55-gram, titanium Seamaster Aqua Terra “Ultra Light” that McIlroy himself helped to design for use on the course.
Tiger Woods – Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea
Like how the Submariner is the most recognisable luxury watch, Tiger Woods is the most recognisable golf player of all time—and how could he not be; he even has his own game. I, for one, remember EA Tiger Woods 99 for the original PlayStation fondly.
Woods is considered one of the best players of all time, with 15 major championship wins. These include: five Masters, four PGA Championships, three U.S. Opens and three Open Championships.
The watch Woods wears—try saying that ten times drunk—is the Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea. But why would he need 3900M of water resistance? The answer isn’t anything to do with golf really—although Woods does wear his Deepsea on the course—it’s that in his downtime, Woods is a keen diver.
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