Lesson 3: The Claret Jug 150 Years of Champions
The Claret Jug — officially the Golf Champion Trophy — has been awarded to the winner of The Open Championship every year since 1873. Each winner’s name is engraved on the silver surface. The original Jug now carries over 150 names.
The champion gets to hold the Jug for one year before returning it. Each year’s winner receives a replica to keep — but the original Jug, with all its names, stays at the R&A. It is one of the most significant physical objects in sports history.
Looking at the names on the Jug is reading golf history in miniature: Tom Morris, Harry Vardon, Walter Hagen, Bobby Jones, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Nick Faldo, Tiger Woods. Each name represents a generation, a style, a story.
The tradition of drinking from the Claret Jug after winning is one of golf’s most beloved rituals — connecting every modern champion to all the champions who came before them through one shared act.
The Claret Jug has been awarded since 1873. Over 150 champion’s names are engraved on it — making it a physical record of golf history.
Find a high-resolution photograph of the Claret Jug. Using a magnifying glass or zooming in on a digital image, try to read as many names as you can. Choose three champions from different decades — early, middle, and recent — and research one fact about each of their Open victories. Write it as a ‘Names on the Jug’ profile.