Edinburgh and St Andrews part of UK tour for Claret Jug ahead of 150th Open

The Claret Jug is to embark on a tour of the UK and Ireland in the countdown to The 150th Open at St Andrews next month.

The tour, which is taking place in partnership with HSBC UK, will visit schools, golf clubs, city centres and HSBC UK branches from Wednesday 15 June through to the championship in mid-July.

The final two stops will be Edinburgh from 4-6 July then St Andrews on 10 July - just before the milestone event starts in the Fife town.

Starting in early June at Royal St George's Golf Club in Kent, host of The 149th Open, the tour will also take in visits to Belfast, Dublin, Manchester, London, Leeds, Liverpool and Birmingham.

The Claret Jug is to undertake a tour of the UK and Ireland in partnership with HSBC UK in the build up to the 150th Open at St Andrews next month

Old and new golfing fans will be able to get their picture taken with the Claret Jug at a selection of venues in each location.

It has been welcomed by Tommy Fleetwood, runner-up to Shane Lowry in the 2019 Open at Royal Portrush.

The Englishman said: “The 150th Open will be a momentous occasion at St Andrews. With a record crowd cheering us on it’ll be an extra special event.

“The Claret Jug is steeped in so much history and is a truly unique piece of silverware that we all dream of getting our hands on.

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