It’s nearing the end of June, which means that this year’s edition of the U.S. Open has come to an end, and a new champion has been crowned. The annual event is one of four major championships in golf and it happens to have the largest award, including a staggering $12.5 million purse. With such a huge prize on the line, it also seems fitting that the U.S. Open is also one of the most difficult championships and is always hosted on courses that make scoring particularly challenging.
This year, the competition was held at none other than the prestigious Torrey Pines South Course in sunny San Diego, California overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The 36-hole municipal golf facility has two 18-hole golf courses, with the South Course measuring 7,802 yards in length. The competition includes four rounds of 18 holes, for a total of 72 holes. The player with the least amount of strokes takes home the top prize and title of U.S. Open Golf champ.
Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau returned this year with the hopes of becoming one of the few players ever to win consecutive U.S. Open titles. Also present during the 2021 U.S. Open were several Rolex brand ambassadors, including Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Hideki Matsuyama, and this year’s winner Jon Rahm of Spain – who was wearing the fan-favorite blue dial Rolex Sky-Dweller on an Oyster bracelet when he held up the trophy!
Rolex Sky-Dweller Reference 326934
Sky-Dweller 326934 Key Features:
– Reference Number: 326934
– Production Years: 2017 – Present
– Case Size: 42mm
– Materials: Stainless Steel & 18k White Gold (White Rolesor)
– Functions: Time w/ Running Seconds, Annual Calendar, GMT Functionality
– Dial: Black; White; Blue w/ Luminous Hour Markers
– Bezel: Ring Command, 18k White Gold, Fluted Style
– Crystal: Sapphire (Flat w/ Cyclops Lens)
– Movement: Rolex Caliber 9001
– Water Resistance: 100 Meters / 330 Feet
– Strap/Bracelet: Oyster Bracelet; Jubilee Bracelet (as of 2021)
– Retail Price: $14,800/Oyster; $15,050/Jubilee (as of 2021)
Click here for our Ultimate Buying Guide on the Rolex Sky-Dweller.
Rolex: Official Timekeeper of the U.S. Open
For decades, the Rolex brand has associated itself with the very best in all fields, from daring explorers to decorated athletes. Golf is just one of many storied partnerships between Rolex and professional sports that also happens to span more than 50 years – one of the longest between any brand and a particular sport. Rolex became the official timekeeper of the U.S. Open in 1980 and has since sponsored such top winners as the legendary Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, and Tiger Woods. Woods dramatically won the U.S. Open championship in 2008, when the event was last hosted at Torrey Pines.
Jon Rahm: U.S. Open Champion
Jon Rahm carries on that tradition of excellence with his win this year at the 121st U.S. Open. The golfer made headlines just a few weeks ago when he tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced to self-isolate for ten days per the PGA Tour guidelines. However, following two negative tests, Rahm was back on the road to victory just in time to snag his first major title at Torrey Pines.
Rahm holds many coveted titles in the sport, such as the first Spanish golfer to win the U.S. Open and the World Number 1 recorded by the Official World Gold Ranking after winning the Memorial Tournament last year. He competed in his first U.S. Open in 2016, after which he turned professional and added countless other titles to his growing resume.
At this year’s U.S. Open, he played an excellent game that saw many of his competitors crumble on the back nine, including Rory McIlroy and Mackenzie Hughes. Jon Rahm ultimately found himself trailing right behind Louis Oosthuizen before his final rival failed to clinch the title on the 18th fairway, allowing Rahm to win by just one stroke and finish with a six-under-par total of just 278.
U.S. Open 2021 Prize
Jon Rahm has been spotted wearing a number of different Rolex watches, including both a two-tone Daytona and a 18k white gold “Pepsi” GMT-Master II ref. 126719BLRO with a meteorite dial. However, the watch on his wrist when he held up the trophy this Sunday after winning the 121st U.S. Open was a stainless steel and white gold Rolex Sky-Dweller reference 326934 fitted with a blue dial and an Oyster bracelet.
Rahm’s payout from a purse of $12.5 million totals $2.25 million, with the runner-up taking home $1.35 million and third place winning a total of $861,457. In total, the top five competitors split a whopping $5.5 million. However, with his first major win under his belt and a growing and very impressive reputation in the game, we expect Rahm will continue to win major titles and rake in huge cash prizes as his career continues to take off.
