When you win The Open, they present you the Claret Jug while announcing you as the "champion golfer of the year." But that's it -- you get one year with the jug, and then have to return it upon arrival at the following year's Open.
Zach Johnson went through the ceremony on Monday morning at Royal Troon, where new R&A chief Martin Slumbers (I mean, could there possibly be a more "British golf" name?) accepted the oldest trophy in golf.
The jug traveled all across the world in the intervening 12 months, held all manner of beverages, and even an ear of corn. ZJ tweeted a sad family photo as it spent its final night back at his home in the States.
Sad day on #SSI. The #Jug is heading home to Scotland...hoping to come back to SE Georgia soon. Here we come Troon! pic.twitter.com/8iLOo3A0Z6
— Zach Johnson (@ZachJohnsonPGA) July 9, 2016
That being said, the #Jug sure has seen many interesting and cool places over the last 12 months! pic.twitter.com/2DSIwWJ4H9
— Zach Johnson (@ZachJohnsonPGA) July 9, 2016
Zach, however, did land in Scotland with a little cushion before he officially had to give it back on Monday. So he and a few friends, Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler among them, did go for one last night of drinks from golf's most famous hardware.
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Presumably, the group at the Troon house was not having the kind of $40k beverage that Phil Mickelson poured into and out of jug just a couple years ago.