Golf's oldest championship is steeped in tradition, and for Collin Morikawa, returning the Claret Jug before defending his title
British Open champion Morikawa hands over Claret Jug Morikawa's name was etched into the Claret Jug after his 2021 win
He held onto the famous silver trophy for a year before he finally had to hand it over this week in exchange for a replica he can keep.
"It was shit. Really," Morikawa told reporters during his pre-tournament press conference on Monday.
"I woke up this morning and looked at it. The replica is not same but it is beautiful. It really isn't. It never will be.
"But I don't want to dwell on the past. I'm always looking forward to what's next. Hopefully just giving it back will free me up a little bit
Morikawa had top-five finishes at this year's Masters and US Open, but is not at the level he was a year ago
It returns for the 150th edition of the British Open, played on the Old Course in St. Andrews, and said it's just a job