What’s the Trophy for The Open Championship?

All professional golfers aspire to win major championships, but each of the year’s four biggest titles comes with different prizes.

The Masters Tournament is known for its iconic green jacket. The PGA Championship has the 27-pound Wanamaker Trophy. The U.S. Open offers the highest payout to the winner. 

As the oldest of the four majors, The Open Championship is often the most revered by the players, especially those who have been able to overcome their golf betting odds to win this prestigious event.

Below, I’ll talk about the trophy for The Open Championship, its history, and what other prizes are in store for the Champion Golfer of the Year.

What’s the Trophy for The Open Championship?

The Open Championship has had multiple trophies during its long history.

The original prize was the Challenge Belt, first awarded to Willie Park Sr. for winning the debut Open in 1860. The belt, which was to be passed from golfer to golfer until someone won the tournament three consecutive times, was retired in 1870 after Young Tom Morris accomplished that feat.

Tournament organisers started on a new trophy, the original Claret Jug, ahead of the 1872 tournament. However, it wasn’t completed in time, so Morris received a gold medal for his fourth straight success.

The winner’s medal has become part of the tradition, an additional prize to accompany the new trophy. The original Claret Jug was first awarded to Tom Kidd in 1873, though Morris’ name is the first engraved on it for his triumph a year earlier.

The original trophy was retired in 1928 and now sits on display in the clubhouse at St Andrews along with the Challenge Belt. The current Claret Jug, which stands 20.75 inches tall and weighs 5.5 pounds, was first awarded to Walter Hagen that same year.

What’s the Name of the British Open Trophy?

The British Open Trophy is officially named The Golf Champion Trophy, though it is almost exclusively referred to as the Claret Jug.

Does The Open Champion Get to Keep the Trophy?

The golfer who overcomes his Open Championship odds and wins the tournament gets to keep the trophy for a year. 

It is tradition that the Champion Golfer of the Year returns the trophy at the following year’s Open.

After spending a year with the Claret Jug, the player receives a full-size replica and can order up to three smaller ones.

Why Is the Open Trophy a Claret Jug?

The trophy’s name refers to 19th-century jugs that poured Claret, the British term for dry red wines from the Bordeaux region of France.

Is the Claret Jug the Oldest Trophy?

The Claret Jug is commonly referred to as golf’s oldest prize.

However, the Old Club Cup, which has been awarded annually to the club champion at Royal Musselburgh Golf Club in Scotland since 1774, makes a strong case for that title.

While the Claret Jug may not be the oldest trophy, it is one of the most iconic and sought-after in professional sports.