Glory glistens atop the golf courses that scar the United Kingdom’s verdant landscape.
The British Open is the oldest major tournament in golf, spanning nearly 200 years. It remains a centerpiece in the sporting calendar in midsummer, taking hold of audiences’ attention for four glorious days.
The ghosts are there for all to see. Legends past and present have conjured wonder atop the gleaming plains of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. For their efforts, they’re rewarded handsomely — not merely with a glimmering check but also with an ancient trophy that still shines through more than a century after its construction.
The Claret Jug is one of golf’s most valuable sculptures. It’s as beckoning as it is aged, entrancing the masses of golfers who yearn for its embrace.
So, just what is the Claret Jug? And what traditions have spawned from its 5.5-pound surface? Here’s what you need to know.
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What is the Claret Jug?
The Claret Jug is the trophy awarded to the winner of the British Open. However, calling it Claret Jug is a bit of a misnomer. Yes, the hardware is jug-like in stature, and yes, it resembles the pitchers used to serve claret — a type of Bordeaux red wine — in the 19th century.
But that’s not the heirloom’s actual title. Those who win the British Open are instead handed the Golf Champion Trophy.
But that just doesn’t roll off the tongue as smoothly, does it?
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Why is it called the Claret Jug?
The Claret Jug’s pseudonym is a reflection of its possible uses. The ornament, a 20 3/4 inch-tall, 5.50-inch wide, 5.5-pound sterling silver device, looks like the sort of jugs used to serve up claret wine in the 19th century. Effectively, the Claret Jug’s denomination highlights its functionality.
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When was Claret Jug first awarded at the British Open?
The Claret Jug has existed for more than a century. So, too, has the British Open. But the two don’t have the same debut.
While the Open Championship was first contested in 1860, it wasn’t until 1872 that winners were given the glistening trophy. Initially, victors were crowned with a Challenge Belt — a Moroccan leather waistband adorned with a silver buckle and emblems.
Those who vanquished all foes were unable to bring home the belt upon their victory. The British Open rulebook stated that the sash would only become a part of a player’s collection by “being won three times in succession.”
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Young Tom Morris accomplished that feat in 1870. Without a prize to present to winners, the British Open was canceled in 1871.
Fearing a similar situation in 1872, tournament organizers came up with a solution. The three sites tabbed to host the British Open — Prestwick, The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers and The Royal and Ancient Golf Club — would pool their money together to raise funds for a new trophy: a silver Claret Jug.
Morris claimed another British Open title in 1872, but the jug wasn’t ready in time. He had to settle for a glint golden medal inscribed with a simple message: ‘The Golf Champion Trophy.’
In 1873, Tom Kidd captured the title, becoming the first man to formally receive the prize. Still, Kidd’s name sits one slot lower than Morris, who earned the piece while organizers rushed to get a trophy crafted.
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Who made the original Claret Jug?
The original Claret Jug was erected by Edinburgh-based business Mackay Cunningham & Company. The firm consisted of goldsmiths and silversmiths and spent a century producing wares.
How much did the original Claret Jug cost?
Prestwick, The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, and The Royal and Ancient Golf Club each contributed £10 ($13.40 in U.S. dollars) to get the prize built.
Where is the original Claret Jug now?
The first Claret Jug lies in repose at the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews clubhouse, its home since 1928. The cup has another friend lying alongside it, too — the Challenge Belt, which found its way back to St. Andrews after Morris’ descendants donated it back.
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How much is the Claret Jug worth now?
Claret Jugs tend to fetch quite the return when placed on the open market. Gary Player’s 1974 trophy sold for $481,068 in a July 2024 auction sale. John Daly’s 1995 title, meanwhile, cost a buyer $392,181.60 in November 2024. Greg Norman’s 1986 crown went for “just” five figures in 2020, while Sam Snead’s 1946 triumph went for $262,900 in a 2013 auction.
All of that is to say that securing a Claret Jug will cost buyers a healthy sum, likely into the six-figure range.
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How much does the Claret Jug weigh?
The Claret Jug weighs 5.5 pounds. Cut from 92.5% sterling silver, the cup is not the easiest thing to handle. The chalice is engraved with the names of the numerous men who have hoisted it.
What is the Claret Jug made out of?
The Claret Jug is made of 92.5% sterling silver, the same material that the U. S. Open trophy is made of.
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Claret Jug replica, explained
A full-sized replica of the Claret Jug is dusted off every year to hand to the winner of the British Open. It’s that trinket that is paraded around in the pictures that emerge upon the conclusion of the competition.
Winners are not, however, permitted to keep that version. Rather, they’re presented with another full-size replica. They’re also allowed to order up to three smaller replicas of the trophy.
In 1982, Tom Watson had his British Open triumph memorialized curiously. The American hit the trophy while taking practice cuts at his home office. He realized the goblet was more weathered and weary than the other replicas he’d received; it was the original Claret Jug.
Watson patched up the device, returning it to its former glory.
“I decided … to repair it myself,” Watson said, according to Golf Digest. “I had a backup plan. I had a good silversmith in Kansas City who could repair it if my efforts failed and created a crack there. But I managed to get it in its original position without a crack. No one knew the difference.”
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What happens to the Claret Jug after a golfer wins the British Open?
Once the dust is settled and the (original) Claret Jug is polished off and engraved with the new winner’s name, it is taken to its tomb, located in The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews.
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