It stands 21 inches tall, is about 5½ inches around and weighs 5½ pounds.
It’s the Claret Jug – officially the “Golf Champion Trophy” – is one of the most coveted trophies in all of sports. It is awarded annually to the Champion Golfer of the Year, also known as the winner of the British Open (or, Open Championship, if you prefer).
The jug was first awarded in 1873 and over the years, names get etched into it, preserving the achievement for all time.
What golfers do with the jug for the 365 days they get to hold onto it is, well, up the imaginations of those champions. The most time-honored tradition is to drink from it.
Here’s a closer look at what some Champion Golfers of the Year have consumed out of the trophy.
Brian Harman with the Claret Jug on the 18th green after winning the 151st Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England. (Photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
“It holds a bottle of wine to perfection. Lots of wine, lots of Guinness, maybe even a little bit of Kentucky’s finest bourbon in there.
“I drank some unusually expensive wine and some unusually exceptional bourbon out of it.”
Stewart Cink holds the Claret Jug aloft after winning the 138th Open Championship at Turnberry Golf Club. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
“We had a group of friends over to our lake house for dinner [to celebrate his 2009 Open Championship victory]. We’d always cook barbecue anytime we got together. That night, we used the Claret Jug to pour the BBQ sauce at the table. We were getting into the wine pretty good.”
Padraig Harrington drinks from the Claret Jug after winning The 136th Open Championship at Carnoustie in 2007. (Photo: Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
“The first thing I drank out of it was John Smith’s Smooth Bitter. There have been a lot of other liquids in there. And ladybugs, too. My son wanted ladybirds (beetles) in there, so ladybirds ended up being in the Claret Jug.”
Phil Mickelson with the Claret Jug after his fifth victory in a major, the 2013 Open Championship at Muirfield.
“I’ve been able to share (the trophy) with a lot of the family and friends that have been helpful throughout my career. It was fun to see the faces of the people who have such respect and reverence for the game and this championship, who (know) what it means to be able to take a picture with it or drink a sip out of…
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