TWO Rolex clocks have been stolen from a top golf course after they were put on display ahead of a major tournament.
The prestigious brand’s huge timepieces are estimated to be worth £70,000 each.
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They and their surrounds were mounted 6ft-high on tee boxes at Wentworth Golf Club so stars at this week’s BMW PGA Championships know the exact time.
Rolex has a long-standing partnership with the Surrey club, and the clocks help organisers announce the players’ arrival.
However, two disappeared early this week before the championships — sparking panic at the world-famous venue.
The Sun understands that police were immediately called in to try to recover the clocks.
It was understood Rolex had fitted tracking devices in each — so the crime was solved in double-quick time.
Cops raided a home in Egham, 12 minutes drive from Wentworth, and were said to have recovered both missing clocks.
It was not known if they had been taken as a prank or with a view to sell on the black market.
Rolex is a major sponsor of the PGA and showcases their timepieces around the globe.
One source said: “The Rolex clocks are synonymous with the PGA. Clearly someone clocked them and thought they’d be easy to pinch.
“But they landed up in a hole themselves not realising the clocks had been fitted with trackers.
“It was a simple job for the police to pot him.”
The BMW Championship, which attracts golfers from around the world, started on Thursday.
Yesterday stars including Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose were seen teeing off in front of Rolex clocks.
It was not known if they were the recovered ones.
The partnership between golf and Rolex, famed for its unerring accuracy, dates back nearly 60 years.
The Watch Register database, which registers timepieces so they can be easily identified if stolen, says Rolex is the most targeted brand.
Actor Keanu Reeves’s Submariner watch was found in Chile after it was stolen from his Los Angeles home in 2023.
That year TV presenter Aled Jones was robbed of his £17,000 Rolex Daytona by a machete-wielding teen in Chiswick, West London.
One report found Rolexes make up 44 per cent of all registered stolen watches.
The Watch Register estimates around 100,000 luxury watches are stolen worldwide each year.
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Sources last night confirmed the Wentworth clock thefts.
It was understood that one man has been charged.
