A brief history of the Claret Jug

The Claret Jug is perhaps the most iconic trophy in golf, and it has a pretty interesting history, too.

It’s presented to the winner of the Open Championship each year, the final major in the men’s professional golf calendar.

This year, Brian Harman will defend the trophy at the 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon after the American stormed to a faultless win in 2023.

It’s a trophy that has become iconic in the world of sport, however, when the Open was first contested, it wasn’t the Jug that was presented. Back in 1860, the Challenge Belt was awarded to Willie Park Snr.

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Fast forward 12 years, and the Claret Jug was built. But it wasn’t ready to be presented to the champion that year, Young Tom Morris. Although his name is the first to be engraved on the Jug, it was the 1873 champion, Tom Kidd, who was the first to be presented with the trophy.

Back then, the real Claret Jug went home with the Champion Golfer of the Year, until Walter Hagen won in 1928, and he was given a replica of the trophy. That tradition is still followed to this day.

Want to know if you’re looking at the real Claret Jug? Look back to the year 1947, and a slight spelling mistake. Fred Daly won that year, at Hoylake. But, the engraver made a mistake, and engraved the venue as Holylake.

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It has appeared twice on commemorative £5 Scottish banknotes issued by the Royal Bank of Scotland. The first time was in 2004, to mark the 250th Anniversary of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews. Then in 2005, Jack Nicklaus was shown holding the Jug to mark his retirement.

Meanwhile, the original Claret Jug has been on permanent display at the clubhouse of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews since 1928.

And the original Challenge Belt is also on display at the same site, having been donated in 1908 by the Morris family.