José María Olazábal
A Ryder Cup legend
José María Olazábal is one of Spain’s most celebrated golfers, renowned for his major victories and leadership on The Ryder Cup stage. His career showcases both individual excellence and team success.
Triumphant leadership
Over the course of a career spanning some five decades, José María Olazábal has firmly established himself as a golf virtuoso.
His two victories at the Masters Tournament and significant contributions to Europe’s Ryder Cup triumphs – both as player and captain – demonstrate a profound understanding of the game, as well as a competitive spirit that has delivered a long list of achievements.
Having won The Amateur Championship as an 18-year-old in 1984, Olazábal turned professional the following year and quickly made an impact on the world stage.
He spent more than 300 weeks in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking between 1989 and 1995, consistently performing at the highest levels. He broke through at Augusta in 1994 to win his first major and triumphed there again five years later to become only the second Spaniard to claim the Green Jacket more than once. The first to achieve the feat was none other than his idol, the late Seve Ballesteros, with whom he had a strong bond and formed an incredible Ryder Cup pairing. Known for his exceptional short game and putting prowess, Olazábal won six PGA TOUR® tournaments and 23 DP World Tour titles.
His Ryder Cup legacy is particularly notable. Competing in seven editions of the biennial team competition between Europe and the United States, Olazábal was part of some of the event’s most iconic moments. As captain of the European team in 2012, he orchestrated a historic comeback at Medinah, leading his team to one of the most dramatic victories in Ryder Cup history, now known as the “Miracle at Medinah”.
José María Olazábal has been a member of the Rolex family of Testimonees since 2011.