Claret Jug Tour continues | The 150th Open

Golf’s most famous trophy, the Claret Jug, will arrive in Scotland’s capital on Monday, as part of The 150th Open Claret Jug Tour, in partnership with HSBC UK.

During its visit to Edinburgh, the Claret Jug will be on display at The Royal Yacht Britannia for a media photocall with winner of The Open in 1999 Paul Lawrie on the afternoon of Monday 4 July.

On Tuesday 5 July, the Claret Jug will be on display at HSBC on Hanover Street, where members of the public, customers and staff will be able to follow in the footsteps of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Jack Nicklaus and Sir Nick Faldo by getting up close to one of sport’s most recognised prizes.

The final part of the Edinburgh leg will see the Claret Jug take up residence at Edinburgh’s City Art Centre on Wednesday 6 July where it will again be open to the public for an unforgettable photo opportunity.

Starting in early June at Royal St George's Golf Club in Kent, host of The 149th Open, the tour has visited seven cities across the UK & Ireland including Belfast, Dublin, Manchester, London, Leeds, Liverpool and Birmingham before travelling to Edinburgh and then on to St Andrews for the final leg of the tour on Sunday 10 July.

Last week the coveted trophy took a whistle-stop tour of Belfast, Dublin and a visit to the Horizon Irish Open at Mount Juliet Estate.

Commenting on the Claret Jug’s visit to Edinburgh, winner of The Open in 1999, Paul Lawrie said: “Winning The Open in 1999 and getting my hands on the Claret Jug was my greatest success as a golfer so I’m thrilled that The Claret Jug is coming to Edinburgh and that the people of Edinburgh will get plenty of opportunity to share in the magic of the old trophy.

"The 150th Open Claret Jug Tour, in partnership with HSBC, will give fans in Edinburgh a unique chance of getting up close to the legendary trophy and is a fitting way to celebrate the landmark of The 150th Open.”

A Golf Roots coaching session at Dorrington Academy

During its time in Birmingham, the Claret Jug visited Dorrington Academy in Perry Barr, where children at the school enjoyed a coaching session as part of HSBC Golf Roots, the umbrella development programme of the Golf Foundation.

The trophy was also taken to a host of iconic Birmingham landmarks, including the Bullring and the BT Tower, in addition to the HSBC branch in Centenary Square and the HSBC UK headquarters.

The Claret Jug outside Birmingham's Bullring

Next up on the tour was Liverpool and visits to more city centre landmarks, the Wirral Golf Society at Arrowe Park Golf Club and Royal Liverpool Golf Club, the venue for The 151st Open.

There was also an early morning journey to Caldy Golf Club on Monday, as the course hosted Regional Qualifying for The Open.

The Claret Jug then moved on to Manchester, where a public display at the American Golf store in the Trafford Centre offered fans of The Open the chance to have their photo taken with golf’s most iconic prize.

HSBC has been an official partner of The Open since 2011, and, alongside their major golf sponsorships, HSBC Golf Roots aims to open up a world of opportunity by supporting youth, community and grassroots initiatives. In the UK, HSBC works with The Golf Foundation's national development programme to promote the sport in schools and helps youngsters into clubs and uses golf to promote important life skills.