Rolex Strikes Partnership Deal With LIV Golf

LIV Golf won a partnership deal with Rolex in an agreement the Swiss watchmaking giant says will give it exposure to new markets for the sport. The partnership between Rolex and the professional golf league, which is backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, “will focus on delivering an exclusive and elevated hospitality programme for the Swiss watchmaker’s guests, growing its offering into international territories,” LIV Golf says in a statement. The current corporate partners of LIV Golf include HSBC and Salesforce, according to its website, and the Rolex news comes at an opportune moment for LIV Golf as former Masters champion Patrick Reed recently said he would leave LIV Golf, following fellow American and multiple-time major champion Brooks Koepka in quitting the league and seeking a return to the PGA.

Rolex has sponsored and supported golf for almost six decades and is the title sponsor of the four men’s majors and the five women’s majors. It also sponsors the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, Asian Tour, LPGA Tour, and Ladies European Tour, as well as the Ryder Cup, among other events. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, and officials at Rolex and LIV Golf did not immediately respond to requests for further comment.