History


The Open Championship is the greatest golf tournament of all with the first championship being held at Prestwick Golf Club in Ayrshire, Scotland in 1860. The following eleven championships were also staged at Prestwick until 1873 when St Andrews played host. Over the years a number of the other great links courses in the UK have been added to the Open circuit such as Muirfield, Royal Troon, Carnoustie, Royal Birkdale and Turnberry to name but a few.

Up until 1870, golfers used to play for the ‘Challenge Belt’ made of rich morocco leather, embellished with a silver buckle and emblems until it was won by Tom Morris Jnr in three consecutive years from 1868 - 1870 . Now it is the famous Claret Jug that golfers from all over the world strive to get their hands on and achieve their lifetime dream of becoming The Open Champion!

The Golf Champion Trophy, now commonly referred to as the Claret Jug, was made by Mackay Cunningham & Company of Edinburgh and was hallmarked 1873. The first Open Champion to receive the new trophy was the 1873 winner, Tom Kidd, but Tom Morris Junior’s name was the first to be engraved on it as the 1872 winner.

In 1920 all responsibility for The Open Championship was handed over to The Royal and Ancient Golf Club. Following the 1927 Open, which was won at St Andrews by Bobby Jones, the club’s Championship Committee took the decision to retain the Claret Jug in future years and to present the winner with a replica.