Xander Schauffele is the “Champion Golfer of the Year.” This is not a term that the fans are quite unfamiliar with. This title does not just echo prestige—it is a title that sets The Open apart from every other major. As The Open returns to Royal Portrush this year, the phrase is ready to be etched into history again. But why that title, instead of being called “winner” or “Open Champion”? The answer lies deep within the pages of golf’s oldest championship, and it’s not just about tradition.
Back in 1860, when The Open first took place in Prestwick, there were no rival tournaments. We have the Masters, the PGA Championship, and the US Open today, none of which existed back then. The Open was it. So when a winner emerged from the competition, he wasn’t just the best of the field. He, by default, became the best professional golfer in the world. This was not a marketing agenda; it was a factual statement. Willie Park Sr. became the first person to ever hold this prestigious title at Prestwick in 1860.
The Open is unrivalled in its gravitas, with perhaps only the Green Jacket at the Masters rivalling its magnitude. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews noted in R&A’s official tournament guide, “The first winner of The Open received not one penny in prize money. The prestige of being crowned Champion Golfer of the Year was considered sufficient reward.” 160 years down the line, the Claret Jug comes with millions of dollars in prize money. But that does not diminish the weight the title still carries.
The title has travelled far since its Scottish origins in 1860. John Ball became the first to challenge the status quo in 1890, being the first Englishman to win The Open. The title journeyed across the British shore with Arnaud Massy’s 1907 win. In 1921, Jock Hutchison, Scottish-born but the first American citizen to win, claimed the title. Walter Hagen was the first US-born to lift the Claret Jug in 1922. With each name etched in the Claret Jug every summer, the title evolved from being a local legend to an international icon.
The Open’s Claret Jug Tradition Shares The Title’s History
The Claret Jug shoulders tradition like no other trophy, just like the “Champion Golfer of the Year” title. The silver trophy was first lifted in 1873, Thomas Kidd becoming the first person to ever do it. From quirky celebrations to historic legacy, the trophy retains its relevance to this day. Tiger Woods toasted his 2000 win with Dom Perignon, while John Daly, ever unconventional, opted for Diet Coke after his 1995 victory. Ernie Els filled it with rum and blackcurrant in 2002. Stewart Cink went so far as to use it as a barbecue sauce holder during a family Fourth of July celebration.
The history behind the Claret Jug is just as fascinating as the Open’s legacy. When Young Tom Morris won the Challenge Belt outright in 1870, it left The Open without a trophy—or a tournament—the following year. In response, Prestwick, St Andrews, and Musselburgh golf clubs agreed to create a new one. But this time, they wanted something that reflected golf’s refined, gentlemanly identity—unlike the belts used in boxing. The R&A turned to a silver jug style it had previously awarded in 1857, designed by Edinburgh silversmiths Mackay, Cunningham & Co. The result was the Claret Jug: elegant, ceremonial, and timeless. Introduced in 1873, it not only rescued the championship’s future but also set the tone for The Open’s iconic image.
From the class of being titled the “Champion Golfer of the Year” to lifting the iconic silver Claret Jug, The Open is a test of tradition and legacy. As the 2025 edition nears, one of golf’s finest courses prepares to host the next chapter in its legacy.
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