For the eleventh successive year, Emirates presents itself as one of the main sponsors and Official Airline of the BMW International Open. The international airline of the United Arab Emirates has been a leading supporter of golf tournaments worldwide for more than a decade and its distinctive “Fly Emirates” logo has become a familiar sight at top events around the globe. With over 200 global commitments, Emirates has a long and successful tradition of sponsoring important sports events and teams worldwide. Through the association with these prestigious sporting events, the airline also helps to promote Dubai as an international destination for sport, business and tourism.

Emirates is one of the leading supporters of major golf tournaments across the globe and is the Official Airline sponsor of 12 events worldwide. Of these sponsorships, eight form part of the European Tour International Schedule, including BMW International Open (Germany), the Race to Dubai – the DP World Tour Championship (UAE), Alstom Open de France (France), Avantha Masters (India), Maybank Malaysian Open (Malaysia), Lyoness Open (Austria), the Irish Open (Ireland) and the Ballantine’s Championship (South Korea). In addition, Emirates continues to support the Hong Kong Open (Hong Kong), which will return to the European Tour schedule in 2014.

In addition to the European Tour International Schedule, Emirates sponsors the Boeing Classic (USA), the Thailand Open (Thailand) and The Emirates Australian Open (Australia).

Volker Greiner, Emirates Vice President North & Central Europe: “The BMW International Open has been an integral part of our brand positioning in the German market for more than ten years and we are very pleased to support the only European Tour tournament in Germany in its anniversary year also. Our sponsorship is a very important instrument for reaching customers worldwide and share their passion for golf.”

Golf is a great fit with Emirates’ brand, with many loyal customers being regular players themselves. Emirates extends its support of golf by allowing passengers to check in a set of golf clubs free of charge - in addition to the normal checked baggage allowance - in any class of service on all of its flights.

Emirates is one of the fastest growing airlines in the world and has received more than 500 international awards for service excellence. Emirates is linking Germany with Dubai, the Middle and Far East, Africa, Asia, India and Australia/New Zealand nine times a day operating triple-daily non-stop scheduled flights from Frankfurt as well as double-daily services from Munich, Dusseldorf and Hamburg to the carrier’s international hub in Dubai. Since November 2011, Emirates has been operating the Munich afternoon flight with an Airbus A380, thus being the first foreign carrier to daily operate Germany with the superjumbo. Emirates currently flies to over 130 destinations in  77 countries across six continents.

Emirates operates one of the youngest fleets worldwide consisting of around 200 wide-body aircraft. Since February 2013, Emirates has been operating the world's only dedicated and purpose-built A380 concourse at Dubai International Airport with 528,000 m² spread across eleven floors. The First Class and Business Class lounges are the largest in the world and allow direct lounge boarding.

First and Business Class travellers can enjoy the complimentary Emirates chauffeur-drive service to and from the airport in Germany, in Dubai as well as in various international destinations. At all German gateways, Emirates offers exclusive airport lounges enabling Premium Class passengers to experience the Emirates service prior to boarding. Emirates has one of the world’s most generous baggage policies. Economy Class customers can check in 30 kg, Business Class travellers 40 kg and First Class passengers can travel with 50 kg of checked baggage. For further information please visit:

Rolex is proud to be a major force at play behind the finest events, players and organizations in golf, encouraging the development of the game worldwide.

History

The roots of Rolex’s affinity for sports and human achievement can be traced back to the pioneering origins of the company. When founder Hans Wilsdorf set up his watchmaking firm, he was influenced by the swift changes sweeping through society at the beginning of the 20th century. In an era when wristwatches were still regarded as fragile items of apparel, he was determined to create a wristwatch that would be robust, precise and reliable, adapted to ever more active lifestyles.

In 1910, a Rolex wristwatch obtained the first certificate ever granted to such a watch by the Official Watch Rating Centre in Bienne, Switzerland. In 1926, Rolex invented the Rolex Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch in the world, thanks to a case equipped with an ingenious patented system consisting of a screw-down bezel, case back and winding crown. To prove his invention, Hans Wilsdorf equipped Mercedes Gleitze with an Oyster when she swam the English Channel a year later. The Rolex watch emerged from more than 10 hours in the water in perfect working condition, and the young Englishwoman effectively became the brand’s first Testimonee – a witness to the watch’s uncompromised performance.

In 1931, Rolex invented the first wristwatch self-winding system with a free rotor, called the Perpetual rotor, the precursor of contemporary self-winding systems.

With Hans Wilsdorf at the helm, Rolex continued to use the world as a real-life proving ground for the Oyster, demonstrating time and again its reliability in the most extreme conditions, on land, in the air, in the depths of the ocean or on the tallest peaks. By being associated with so many achievements, Rolex became the trusted reference for chronometric precision, robustness and reliability around the world.

Meanwhile, Rolex evolved, as did its product, in a constant pursuit of perfection. As part of this evolution, Rolex watches – made from only the highest quality materials and designed by the industry’s best – became symbols of elegance and prestige.  

As the most elite and trusted timekeeper of the day, known for having changed the world of watchmaking, it was only logical that Rolex should partner Arnold Palmer in 1967. This charismatic American holds a special place in golf legend, thanks as much to his natural talent as a player and his many victories on the course, as to his pioneering role in the history of the sport. He, along with fellow Rolex Testimonees Jack Nicklaus, record holder at 18 for most major wins, and Gary Player, ranked third overall for the number of professional wins, contributed to modernizing golf and giving it a worldwide dimension. Together, they are commonly known as the “Big Three”.

Since 1967, the relationship between Rolex and golf has continuously grown and prospered thanks to the brand’s trendsetting initiative in the field of sports sponsoring. Today Rolex is golf's leading supporter and is associated not only with the most important and prestigious entities governing the sport worldwide, but also with golf's principal professional tours, competitions and athletes.

Men’s Golf

For over 30 years, Rolex has been the proud partner and Official Timekeeper of The Open Championship, where the world’s greatest players compete for the sport’s oldest title. This prestigious tournament is organized by The R&A, golf’s governing body responsible for monitoring the official Rules of Golf. The Rules, set out by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, have preserved the integrity of the sport for over 250 years. Both The R&A and The Rules have long-standing partnerships with Rolex.

Rolex is also a major sponsor of the USGA, which is responsible for organizing the renowned U.S. Open Championship. Together with The R&A, the USGA governs the game of golf worldwide, promoting and sustaining the game and acting as custodian of The Rules.

Also in the United States, Rolex proudly supports the Masters, one of golf’s emblematic events played every year at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. Like Rolex, the Masters is a classic known for its traditional values and the only invitational tournament among golf’s majors.

Alongside the majors are the Rolex-sponsored team competitions. The Ryder Cup pits the United States against Europe, while The Presidents Cup is played between the United States and a team comprised of the top-ranked players outside of Europe. These high-profile events are unique since no prize money is awarded.

Rolex is further involved in men’s golf as Official Timekeeper of prime tournaments such as the World Golf Championships, The Players Championship and the Tour Championship. In addition, Rolex is the Official Timekeeper of golf's main tours: the PGA Tour, the European Tour and the Asian Tour. And as part of the brand’s mission to encourage the development of this great game, Rolex also supports the most prestigious amateur events worldwide.

In addition, Rolex backs many of the sport’s best players. Besides the Big Three, Rolex counts among its Testimonees American golf legend Tom Watson, as well as Fred Couples and Bernhard Langer; multiple-major winners Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Retief Goosen; top contenders Luke Donald, Martin Kaymer, Adam Scott, Matteo Manassero and Rickie Fowler.

Women’s Golf

Rolex celebrates more than 30 years with the LPGA as its Official Timekeeper and is also a proud partner of the Ladies European Tour. Rolex is the Official Timekeeper of the five majors, including the newly added Evian Championship, and the Solheim Cup, the premier team event in ladies golf. Rolex also sponsors the LPGA's top awards, such as the Rolex Player of the Year and the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year. Among LPGA Tour players, Rolex counts among its Testimonees legends Annika Sorenstam and Lorena Ochoa, as well as top talent Yani Tseng. And, as a committed partner of the sport of golf, Rolex was named, in 2006, the Title Sponsor of the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings, the first-ever world rankings system for women's golf.

Driven by a passion for excellence and a great appreciation of golf, Rolex, the world’s leading Swiss watchmaker, is committed to cultivating the strong ties that bind these two prestigious worlds in their shared pursuit of perfection.

The Süddeutsche Zeitung is the largest quality nationwide newspaper and thus the flagship of the Süddeutsche publishing house. It combines high editorial standards with high coverage. As an opinion-forming medium, the Süddeutsche Zeitung is primarily known for its high level of credibility, which is guaranteed by a professional editorial team, which is not influenced by economic interests. With about 413,000 papers sold every day (IVWII/2012), the Süddeutsche Zeitung reaches 1.48 million readers (media analysis 2012)), making it the number one nationwide, quality daily newspaper. 12.4% of Germany’s top decision makers put their faith in the quality multi-media journalism provided by the Süddeutsche Zeitung (LAE 2012). As well as the Süddeutsche Zeitung, the online news platform Süddeutsche.de also provides well-founded reporting on the latest international, national and regional issues. With 6.53 million monthly unique users, Süddeutsche.de is currently ranked second among the online news offerings of the daily newspapers. Source: internet facts (AGOF) 2012-9, July-September.

There is not a single issue of the Süddeutsche Zeitung, in which the renowned ‘Streiflicht’ does not appear. This tongue-in-cheek column takes a look at major and minor events throughout the world. The “Page 3” reporting concept is also part and parcel of the international standing and success enjoyed by the Süddeutsche Zeitung. Special reports and independent weekly supplements compliment what is already on offer. The SZ Magazine on Friday has virtually achieved a cult following. The quarterly supplements published by the Süddeutsche Zeitung, such as “wohlfühlen” (“Feel Good”) and “golf spielen” (“Play Golf”) have been popular for years.

Enjoy golf to your heart’s content with “golf spielen”.    
Golf is an ever-growing sport in Germany. The Süddeutsche Zeitung recognised this golf boom early on and produced its first golf page back in 1993. The SZ has been publishing its quarterly “golf spielen” magazine since 2000. Each issue focuses on golf from different perspectives and covers a wide range of topics. News, extensive reporting, amusing golf-related anecdotes, tournaments and events, interviews with national and international pros, the latest media coverage from the DGV and PGA, golf fashion, equipment and accessories, and golf trips, as well as technical tips and training suggestions for experienced golfers and beginners alike make for pleasant and informative reading. In brief: everything golfers and those interested in golf could wish to know about this popular sport. With a total circulation of over 700,000 copies, distributed through the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Stuttgarter Zeitung and Stuttgarter Nachrichten, “golf spielen” has a higher circulation than any other golf magazine in Europe. On top of that, there are more than 70,000 copies of “golf spielen extra”. Large numbers of the hardback version, with its quality look and feel, are distributed to all golf clubs, resorts and hotels in Germany, Austria and German-speaking areas of Switzerland, and are sold at kiosks.

Golf is a great way of socialising and making contacts. This is another reason why the SZ has built on the wealth of expertise it has acquired over many years. A B2B golf tournament series was launched nine years ago. The Süddeutsche Zeitung also plays a major role in professional golf: for example, the sponsorship of the BMW International Open rounds off the paper’s commitment to the sport and once again combines all the properties, for which the publishing house is held in such high esteem: complexity, a broad spectrum and top qualit.