The PGA Championship stands out among the four men’s major championships as the only one exclusively for professionals. The second major of the season takes place each May on a rotation of celebrated courses across the United States of America, with a 156-strong field competing to claim the iconic Wanamaker Trophy.

Organized by the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) of America, the PGA Championship ensures the highest level of competition by assembling one of the strongest fields in men’s golf. It inspires players to constantly push back the limits of what they can achieve, while placing maturity and experience at a premium. World No 1 Scottie Scheffler made this year’s PGA Championship, played from 15-18 May at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North CArolina, look like a walk in the park. He took a three-stroke lead into the final round, and despite a pedestrian 71 on Sunday, took home the Wanamaker trophy with five shots to spare. The 28-year-old American finished at a total 11-under for the Championship, and chalked up his 15 career PGA TOUR title and third major in the process.

Founded in 1959 and widely regarded as having one of the finest courses in the United States, the club hosted the PGA Championship for the second time, having first held the prestigious event in 2017 when Rolex Testimonee Justin Thomas won his maiden major title by two shots.

“As a kid growing up being a golf fan, you want to win all the majors,” reflected Justin Thomas. “But for me, the PGA Championship has a special place in my heart. I want to win every tournament I play in and every major, but that was pretty cool. For that to be my first one and have my dad there, it was a great win for the family and a moment we will never forget.”

Since 2021, Rolex has been Official Timekeeper and Official Partner of the PGA Championship as well as of the PGA of America, supporting the governing body’s efforts to broaden interest and participation in the game of golf. Over the years, the esteemed tournament has been the scene of many triumphs by Rolex Testimonees. The champions whose names have been inscribed on the trophy since the tournament’s inaugural edition in 1916 include Gary Player (1962, 1972), Jack Nicklaus (1963, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1980), Tiger Woods (1999, 2000, 2006, 2007), Phil Mickelson (2005, 2021), Martin Kaymer (2010), Keegan Bradley (2011), Jason Day (2015), Justin Thomas (2017, 2022), Brooks Koepka (2018, 2019, 2023) and Collin Morikawa (2020).

This year marks several significant anniversaries for members of the Rolex family. It has been 25 years since Woods achieved the remarkable feat of winning the PGA Championship, U.S. Open and The Open in a calendar year, the only player in history to have done so. He followed it up by claiming the Green Jacket at the 2001 Masters Tournament to become the first player in the modern era to hold the title at all four major championships simultaneously – a historic achievement coined the “Tiger Slam”.

It has also been 20 years since Mickelson secured his maiden PGA Championship victory for his second major championship title; 15 years since Kaymer won his first major tournament at Whistling Straits in 2010; a decade since Day claimed victory at the 2015 PGA Championship when his 20-under- par performance set the record at the time for the lowest 72-hole score to par in major championship history; and five years since Morikawa claimed his PGA Championship and maiden major title in 2020.

Commenting on his historic victory in 2015, Jason Day said: “Coming down the stretch at the PGA Championship, when all’s said and done, the emotions stemmed from all the hard  work and knowing that at some point as a kid, I had dreamed about that moment and winning major championships. For me, to be able to experience that not only with my family and friends but also with my coach at the time and caddie, who had been my coach ever since I was 13 years old, was a very special moment for me.”

After winning his debut PGA Championship in 2020, Collin Morikawa said, “Growing up, my aim was to win at PGA TOUR® tournaments as a professional. The PGA Championship will always be special to me because it was my first major title, and you will never be able to take that away. It is remarkable that your name will always be etched in history, and it will never leave that spot in 2020.”

The tournament is conducted by the PGA of America, one of the largest sports bodies globally, representing more than 30,000 professionals. Founded in 1916 and dedicated to promoting the game of golf, it strives to broaden interest and participation in golf, while developing the sport for people of all backgrounds. The organization’s scope includes staging events for junior players as well as its professional members. The PGA of America holds three annual major championships: the PGA Championship, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship. Winners of the PGA Championship are eligible to play in the tournament for life and are automatically invited to play in the other three major championships – the Masters Tournament, U.S. Open and The Open – along with THE PLAYERS Championship for the next five years. They also secure membership on the PGA TOUR® for five years and the DP World Tour for the following seven seasons. The Wanamaker Trophy is awarded to the winner of the PGA Championship, and champions are allowed to keep a smaller replica of the trophy, but the original must be returned for the following year’s tournament.

ROLEX AND GOLF
Rolex celebrates human achievement, recognizing the journey marked by milestones and emotions that culminates in defining moments – determined by a path followed, not just a trophy.

For almost 60 years, Rolex has cultivated an enduring legacy with Golf through partnerships with elite athletes, world- class events and leading organizations, and champions the highest standards of performance in all its activities. The long-standing partnership began in 1967, when Arnold Palmer, joined by Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, became the brand’s first golfing Testimonees. Known together as The Big Three, these legendary players changed the face of golf forever, and their partnership with Rolex marked the beginning of a relationship based on the shared commitment to continuous improvement and unwavering precision.

Since then, the affiliation has grown and flourished, permeating every level of the game worldwide. From elite players and golf legends to all the major championships, where success represents the pinnacle of achievement in the sport, as well as the foremost professional tours, international team events and amateur championships, Rolex is ever-present.

Rolex is deeply committed to the amateur game, and its values, which includes an association with the elite amateur tournaments across the globe. The Swiss manufacturer’s support of golf and its custodians is built on a strong sense of integrity and respect for tradition that promote the continuity of expertise and transfer of knowledge, and an understanding of the importance of investing in the sport’s development for future generations.