World famous trophy swings into Belfast this week as part of The 150th Open Claret Jug Tour
Golf’s most famous trophy, the Claret Jug, returns to Northern Ireland this week as The Open celebrates its 150th Championship next month.
Avid golf fans will have the chance to follow in the footsteps of Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods by getting up close to one of sport’s most recognised prizes as the Claret Jug goes on display in Belfast on Wednesday June 29.
The 150th Open Claret Jug Tour, in partnership with HSBC UK, has been visiting schools, golf clubs, city centres and HSBC UK branches over the last few weeks. On Wednesday morning the iconic trophy heads to HSBC in the city centre and from 2.30-4pm at the Visit Belfast Welcome Centre on Donegall Square. Dating back to 1872, the Claret Jug is presented to the Champion Golfer of the Year at The Open. In 2019, over 600 million viewers watched as Ireland’s Shane Lowry lifted the trophy at Royal Portrush.
With record-breaking ticket sales making history as the first ever Open Championship to sell out, 2019 was a special year for golf in Northern Ireland. Preparations are already underway to welcome The 153rd Championship back to Royal Portrush in 2025.
The Open is golf’s original Championship. Taking place at St Andrews this year, it has been played since 1860 on iconic links golf courses and is the sport’s most international Major Championship with qualifying events on every continent. For one week each year, the pursuit of the famous Claret Jug trophy is the focus of the sporting world, followed globally by millions of fans.
When it comes to golf, Northern Ireland is giant, with 90 clubs offering the perfect mix of links and parkland golf courses. It is the home of Golf Digest’s Number One Golf Course in the World, Royal County Down and, of course, host of The 148th Open, Royal Portrush.
From gentle links to the most challenging championship courses, a glimpse of the Claret Jug will inspire many to follow in the footsteps of our Major champions who honed their skills here.
George Diamondis, Golf Marketing Manager, Tourism Northern Ireland said: “We are very excited to welcome the prestigious Claret Jug to Northern Ireland. For golf fans it has a special meaning, reminding us of the epic year when we welcomed The 148th Open to Royal Portrush and it will help build excitement for 2025 when the Championship returns. We are proud of our status as a golf destination through the triumphs of our champion golfers, our world class golf courses and our ability to host outstanding events with The R&A.”
Neil Armit, Chief Commercial Officer of The R&A commented: “We’re incredibly excited to take the Claret Jug to Belfast to celebrate what promises to be an unforgettable Championship at St Andrews. We hope to ignite the imagination of the public across the UK & Ireland as we introduce the magic of the Claret Jug to the fans.”
As the greatest golfers in the world prepare to tee up for the Championship in July, you can be part of the iconic trophy’s journey at it arrives on our shores.
The Claret Jug will be on display at HSBC, 25-29 Royal Ave, Belfast from 09.30-12.00 on Wednesday 29th June and at the Visit Belfast Welcome Centre, 9 Donegall Square in Belfast from 2.30pm – 4.00pm.
For more information on golf courses in Northern Ireland, please visit www.discovernorthernireland.com. Or follow Discover Northern Ireland on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and use the hashtag #NIMadeforGolf.
For additional details on The 150th Open Claret Jug Tour, in partnership with HSBC, visit TheOpen.com, and follow @TheOpen and @HSBC_UK on social.