Tag: Ryder Cup

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Ryder Cup: Rolex to Become Official Partner

This year's Ryder Cup will take place from 21 to 26 September. (Image: Getty)

Ryder Cup Europe have announced that Rolex will become a Worldwide Partner of The Ryder Cup.

Read the press statement from Ryder Cup Europe Communications:

A landmark agreement with the PGA of America – Ryder Cup Europe’s partner in golf’s most celebrated team contest – will see the Swiss watch manufacturer align with Ryder Cup USA for the first time as Official Timekeeper, a role it has enjoyed with Team Europe since 1995.

Already the longest-serving partner of The Ryder Cup, this new global commitment and Worldwide Partner status further strengthens Rolex’s recognised stature in golf, having been at the heart of the game for over 50 years.

Guy Kinnings, Deputy CEO European Tour and Ryder Cup Director, said: “Rolex’s commitment to golf as a whole is unparalleled and this is therefore a truly momentous day both for The Ryder Cup and our sport as a whole.

“The invaluable support of Rolex for over a quarter of a century has helped both The Ryder Cup and the European Tour grow and prosper. With their new alignment and agreement with our friends at the PGA of America, I am incredibly excited at what the future holds for an event which is already recognised as one of the greatest in all of sport.”

Jean-Frédéric Dufour, Chief Executive Officer, Rolex SA, said: “Since 1967, Rolex’s commitment to golf has grown and flourished, permeating every level of the sport. We are delighted to stand alongside the PGA of America and Ryder Cup Europe in supporting The Ryder Cup, the game’s pre-eminent team competition. Through this landmark partnership, which builds on a relationship of more than 25 years with The Ryder Cup, Rolex takes the next historic step in further deepening our support for this iconic and unrivalled event.”

Rolex, who become the third Worldwide Partner of The Ryder Cup alongside AON and BMW, also assume the role of Presenting Partner of the weekly Ryder Cup Points Standings, which monitors the progress of the leading players on both sides of the Atlantic as they vie for automatic berths on both the European and the U.S teams.

Rolex is also committed to PGA Members, their events and grassroots initiatives, as the brand becomes the Presenting Partner of the annual PGA Professional Championship and the Official Timekeeper of PGA Golf Properties and PGA Frisco. Rolex also becomes Presenting Partner of the PGA’s three annual Player of the Year awards: the PGA Professional Player of the Year; Women’s PGA Professional Player of the Year; and Senior PGA Professional Player of the Year awards.

Rolex’s involvement in golf dates back to 1967 and its seminal partnership with Arnold Palmer who, joined by Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, became the brand’s first golfing Testimonees. Since then, Rolex’s relationship with the game has grown and flourished, providing support for world-class players, the main professional Tours and governing bodies, as well as the finest events on the golf calendar. It now encompasses all Major tournaments – four men’s and five women’s – where victory represents the pinnacle of achievement in the sport.

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Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup rescheduled for 2021 and 2022 respectively

The 2020 Ryder Cup is postponed until next year. (Picture: Getty)

The PGA of America, Ryder Cup Europe and the PGA Tour jointly announced today that both The Ryder Cup and the Presidents Cup have been rescheduled and will now be played one year later than originally planned. 

The 43rd Ryder Cup, scheduled for the week of September 22-27 at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin, has been rescheduled for the week of September 21-26, 2021. 

Ryder Cup rescheduled

Likewise, the 2021 Presidents Cup, initially scheduled for September 30-October 3, 2021 at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, will now be played September 19-25, 2022.

Additionally, as a result of the Presidents Cup date change, the Wells Fargo Championship will be played at its traditional venue at Quail Hollow in 2021 and at TPC Potomac in 2022, during Presidents Cup year.

The decision to reschedule The Ryder Cup was made based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and in conjunction with the state of Wisconsin and Sheboygan County, with the health and well-being of all involved as the top priority.

“Unlike other major sporting events that are played in existing stadiums, we had to make a decision now about building facilities to host The 2020 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits,” said PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh.

“It became clear that as of today, our medical experts and the public authorities in Wisconsin could not give us certainty that conducting an event responsibly with thousands of spectators in September would be possible. Given that uncertainty, we knew rescheduling was the right call.

“We are grateful to Commissioner Jay Monahan and our partners at the PGA TOUR for their flexibility and generosity in the complex task of shifting the global golf calendar.

“As disappointing as this is, our mandate to do all we can to safeguard public health is what matters most. The spectators who support both the U.S. and European sides are what make The Ryder Cup such a unique and compelling event and playing without them was not a realistic option.

“We stand united with our partners from Ryder Cup Europe, the NBC Sports Group, Sky and our other broadcast partners around the world. We look forward to delivering The Ryder Cup’s renowned pageantry, emotion and competitive drama to a global audience in 2021.”

Presidents Cup is also postponed

Guy Kinnings, Europe’s Ryder Cup Director, said: “The Ryder Cup is rightly celebrated as one of the world’s greatest sporting occasions, made special and totally unique in our sport by the fervent atmosphere created by the passionate spectators of both sides.

“While that point is significant, it is not as important as the health of the spectators which, in these difficult times, is always the main consideration. We considered all options including playing with a limited attendance but all our stakeholders agreed this would dilute the magic of this great occasion.

“We therefore stand beside our partners at the PGA of America in the decision to postpone The Ryder Cup for a year and join with them in extending our thanks to the PGA Tour for their willingness to help by moving the date of the Presidents Cup.

“We also thank NBC, Sky and our many broadcast partners around the globe, in addition to the worldwide partners of this great event, whose support and commitment are second to none.”

With the decision to play The 2020 Ryder Cup in September 2021, all subsequent Ryder Cups after Whistling Straits will also shift to odd years: 2023/Marco Simone Golf and Country Club (Rome, Italy); 2025/Bethpage Black (Farmingdale, New York); 2027/Adare Manor (County Limerick, Ireland); 2029/Hazeltine National Golf Club (Chaska, Minnesota); 2031/Europe (to be determined); 2033/The Olympic Club (San Francisco); 2035/Europe (to be determined); 2037/Congressional Country Club (Bethesda, Maryland).

Off the momentum of the 2019 Presidents Cup played in Melbourne, Australia, the 14th playing of the Presidents Cup, will now be hosted for the first time in the Southeast United States at Quail Hollow Club in 2022. 

“These two premier international team events are lifted by the spirit of the fans,” said PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan. “With the uncertainty of the current climate, we fully support The Ryder Cup’s decision to delay a year in order to ensure fans could be a part of the incredible atmosphere in Wisconsin, and the delay of this year’s Presidents Cup was the right decision in order to allow for that option. 

“We are thankful that our global partners, our friends at Quail Hollow Club and all associated with the Presidents Cup and the Junior Presidents Cup have approached this change with a unified, positive spirit. We are confident the move will give us even more runway as we bring the Presidents Cup to Charlotte in 2022.”

(Text: European Tour)

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European Ryder Cup Qualification Process frozen until 2021

Padraig Harrington: Captain of the European Team. (Picture: Getty)

The European Tour today confirmed that the qualification process for Team Europe for The 43rdRyder Cup at Whistling Straits has been frozen until the beginning of the new year, after the biennial contest was postponed until 2021.

The Tour’s Tournament Committee voted unanimously to ratify the changes which will see qualifying resume on January 1, 2021, ahead of golf’s greatest team contest which will now be staged from September 24-26, 2021.

Ryder Cup Qualification frozen

All points earned to date on both the European and World Points lists, which started at the 2019 BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and which were paused after the 2020 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters in March this year, will continue to count.

In addition, one or more points multipliers may be introduced during the course of the 2021 European Tour season to ensure that strong performance closer to the match in September 2021 is given added importance. These will be agreed once the 2021 European Tour schedule has been announced and communicated to the Membership prior to January 1.

As in 2020, Qualification points will not be available anywhere in the world during 2021 from a tournament played opposite a Rolex Series event, further enhancing the status of the premier series of events on the European Tour.

Overall, there will be no modification to the qualifying criteria ratified by the Tournament Committee last year: i.e. The first four qualifiers for Team Europe will come from the European Points list, the next five from the World Points list and Captain Pádraig Harrington will have three wildcard picks.

The change to the qualifying process maintains the normal length of the qualification period plus a further two months, as January and February in both 2020 and 2021 are included. The end date of the qualification period will be confirmed when the 2021 Race to Dubai schedule is announced.

“I feel that players should not feel under pressure to play”

European Captain Pádraig Harrington said: “I think the proposals that have been outlined today are fair to all players involved in the qualification process, whether they have already amassed points or will be looking to do so from next January onwards.

“The 2020 season has already been heavily disrupted, and may continue to be further impacted, by a number of COVID-19 related issues in terms of travel restrictions, quarantine regulations and individual personal concerns. I feel that players should not feel under pressure to play and therefore the points tables should not apply from now until the end of the year from a schedule that could change further.

“However, while that is the case, notable performances will still very much count in my considerations for picks as I maintain a keen interest in the form of all possible Ryder Cup team members in tournaments on both sides of the Atlantic.”

(Text: European Tour)