![]() It was not clear how much of a chance Rolex was given to match the offer. Five months later, the PGA of America announced its new deal with Omega. Previously, the logo changed depending on which continent it was played. The PGA of America and the European Tour worked together to create one logo to be used for the Ryder Cup no matter where it's played. The watch wars are a delicate subject at Rolex headquarters in Geneva, and the company was not willing to comment beyond an email from spokeswoman Virginie Chevailler that "we can only regret the current nonuniform approach of the communications surrounding the tournament."Įven more peculiar was the timing of the deal. ![]() "They are crossing the line between the business of golf and the game of golf," said Norman, who previously had an endorsement with Rolex. Norman said Rolex officials wouldn't let him in the room. It turned ugly a month ago when Norman was in Gleneagles for a corporate clinic and stopped by a news conference in the hotel where Jose Maria Olazabal was announcing his two captain's picks for Europe. The rivalry reached another dimension this summer when Norman said he was kept from playing the pro-am in the Senior British Open at Turnberry because Rolex is a sponsor. With its Olympic relationship, Omega covered up all the Rolex clocks at the All-England Club during the Olympic tennis competition at Wimbledon. The rivalry with two Swiss watch companies is different.Īlready this summer, Rolex has seen Omega move onto its traditional turf. For example, the PGA of America has a partnership with Mercedes-Benz, while the European Tour has a longtime relationship with BMW. It's not unusual for companies with competing interests to be involved in golf. There are some challenges with two companies in a very competitive sector." "We have to do some work in respecting each other's territories. "It gives us some operational challenges geographically," European Ryder Cup director Richard Hills said. The European Tour will be in charge for the 2014 matches at Gleneagles in Scotland, where Omega will be off limits. ![]() The PGA of America runs the Ryder Cup this year, meaning Rolex is not allowed any presence at Medinah Country Club in the Chicago suburbs. The European Tour, which has joint ownership of the Ryder Cup and negotiates its own marketing deals, has a longtime relationship with Rolex. However, it gets only the Ryder Cup in America. Omega's deal with the PGA of America, which goes through 2016, gives the company marketing rights at the PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup, regarded as the biggest spectacle in golf behind the Masters. Rolex was the official clock seen on clubhouses and tee boxes at all four majors, including every Ryder Cup. The Omega deal was significant because Rolex had such a stronghold on the industry, dating to when Arnold Palmer first slipped a Rolex around his wrist in 1967. As the official timekeeper, it was a must for Omega to be involved in golf. "The biggest was golf becoming an Olympic sport. ![]() "We've always seen in golf that it's worldwide, it's the universal sport everywhere," Omega President Stephen Urquhart said. It was a major coup for Omega, the official timekeeper of the Olympics since 1932, which until recently only dabbled in golf through title sponsorship of a few tournaments and personal contracts with elite players, such as Greg Norman and Michael Phelps. The PGA of America last year abruptly ended its 17-year sponsorship with Rolex and signed a five-year deal with Omega, its fierce rival. It's not between the Americans and Europeans, rather two companies.Īnd they're from Switzerland, of all places, a country with a history of being neutral. Even as the Ryder Cup moves toward a more congenial competition, one battle is shaping up to be more acrimonious than any golf match. ![]()
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