When you win the British Open, you get to hoist the Claret Jug. Over the last several generations, whoever ends up winning The Open Championship is the proud owner of this one-of-a-kind trophy for a year. Along with the Stanley Cup and the Lombardi Trophy, the Claret Jug is one of the most iconic across the sports world. It is a combination of its longevity, as well as its inherent uniqueness.
Yes, the Claret Jug is a vessel designed to hold Bordeaux wine, better known as claret in the United Kingdom. We are essentially talking about a trophy made out of 92.5-percent sterling silver that was initially designed to hold table wine. Over time, it has become one of the most recognizable trophies in all of sports. It is a quirky as it is highly functional. Every winner has his name engraved upon it, too.
So what I want to do today ahead of The Open Championship being played out this weekend is to examine what all goes into this rather peculiar trophy. You win a major golf tournament, and you get this jug, only to return it later for an exact replica, but you can have up to three replicas in your house? Make it make sense! That is the beautiful part about the beautiful game. It does not have to make any!
Let's get started with the history of the Claret Jug and why it became such a point of conversation.
What is the significance of the Claret Jug?
As simply as I can put it, the Claret Jug was a trophy put together by three rotating venues of The Open Championship in the early 1870s. Those three venues were Prestwick Golf Club, The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, and the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, better known as Muirfield today. All three venues chipped in 10 pounds to help put together this new trophy for it.
So why did they need a new trophy? The Open Championship had only been held for about a decade prior to the Claret Jug's creation. The marquee golfing event dates back to 1860. Well, it has everything to do with what became of its first trophy: The Challenge Belt. The belt was originally handed out in 1860, but became the property of a winner of they won it three times consecutively.
Young Tom Harris won the Challenge Belt outright in 1870. It was his third straight victory in The Open Championship, so the belt made of Moroccan leather and a silver buckle became his property. To solve this issue of losing its trophy, the Claret Jug was created to have its winners' names engraved on it, only to be returned to the golf tournament at the start of each year. It has since been a tradition.
How big is the Claret Jug?
The Claret Jug was first officially handed out in 1873 with Tom Kidd being its first winner. The trophy's formal name is The Golf Champion Trophy, although Claret Jug has become far more commonplace in terms of overall usage. It is 20.75 inches tall and 5.5 inches in diameter at its widest, with its base measuring in at 7.25 inches in diameter. The trophy weighs roughly 5.5 pounds. It can hold two beers!
Overall, the Claret Jug's combination of longevity, uniqueness and functionality is why it has achieved the gravitas it has as a trophy. The fact it is quite easy to carry makes it even more peculiar. Good luck trying to haul around the Lombardi Trophy or the Stanley Cup as easily. Of course, the trophy is rather ancient. The current one in use dates back to 1928 when Walter Hagen won it. The first is on display.
It may not be all that long before the second Claret Jug is joins its predecessor over at St Andrews.