FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 11th, 2017

GOLF CHANNEL ANNOUNCES COAST-TO-COAST TOUR ACROSS THE U.S. FEATURING THE ICONIC CLARET JUG LEADING UP TO THE 146TH OPEN AT ROYAL BIRKDALE

Tour to Target Cultural, Sporting Events, Kicking Off April 13 at
Universal Hollywood & Concluding July 5 at Universal Orlando 

Fans Will Have an Opportunity to Take Photos with Claret Jug,
Engrave Initials on Ball Marker Keepsake in Anticipation of The Open 

ORLANDO, Fla. (April 11, 2017) – In advance of the 146th Open at Royal Birkdale – which is set to begin in exactly 100 days (July 20-23) – Golf Channel today announced that the Claret Jug – golf’s most iconic trophy – will take part in a coast-to-coast tour across the United States. In partnership with The R&A, the Claret Jug tour will kick off on Thursday, April 13 at Universal Hollywood and include stops at sporting and cultural events, golf venues and popular locations in more than a dozen cities across the country before concluding at Universal Orlando just two weeks prior to The Open.

“The Claret Jug is not only one of the most iconic trophies in sports, but it’s also had a unique history in traveling the world with the Champion Golfer of the Year” said Regina O’Brien, senior vice president, marketing for Golf Channel. “Given the many celebrations and wonderful memories for past Champion Golfers of the Year associated with the Claret Jug, it’s fitting that the tour will include a number of festivals and cultural events for all to admire ahead of The Open in July.”

Fans visiting one of the tour stops will have an opportunity to take photos with the trophy that dates back to 1872. Attendees also will receive a ball marker – branded for The Open – which they can engrave with their initials to replicate the traditional engraving process that is used each year to inscribe the name of the ‘Champion Golfer of the Year’ at The Open.

The Claret Jug will visit a variety of cultural events, including the Great American Foodie Fest, Texas Scottish Festival, Lincoln Park Wine Festival, Taste of Charlotte, Major League Baseball games, Major League Soccer games, and a number of stops at Topgolf locations nationwide.

OVERSIZED RENDITION OF CLARET JUG BASE ON HAND FOR PHOTO OPPS
Custom golf club selfie sticks will be on-hand at each stop for fans to capture themselves with the Claret Jug as they climb atop an oversized rendition (6’ tall, 10’ in diameter) of the base of the trophy featuring the names of past Champion Golfers of the Year.  

SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVATIONS WITH THE CLARET JUG
Fans can track the Claret Jug tour through a microsite that will include the schedule of events, photos, social media feeds, and a quiz on The Open. Those following #ClaretJug on Twitter will receive updates with information on the tour, along with photos from each of the stops over the nearly three-month duration of the tour. Additionally, at select tour events, a “Twitter Mirror” will allow attendees to take selfies that will automatically be aggregated into the tour’s social media feed. Fans also will have a chance to take part in trivia questions testing their Open knowledge.

NBC Sports Group will televise exclusive coverage of the 146th Open from Royal Birkdale in the United Kingdom, with nearly 50 live hours of tournament coverage, Thursday-Sunday, July 20-23.

ABOUT GOLF CHANNEL
Golf Channel is a multimedia, golf entertainment and services company based in Orlando, Fla. Serving the most-affluent audience in all of television, Golf Channel – co-founded by Arnold Palmer in 1995 and now part of NBC Sports Group – is available to nearly 500 million viewers in 78 countries and nine languages around the world. Golf Channel features more live golf coverage than all other networks combined, including tournament action from the PGA TOUR, LPGA Tour, The Open, Olympics, and Ryder Cup, as well as high-quality news, instruction and original programming. Golf Channel Digital delivers unmatched coverage of the world of golf. Fans are able to enjoy 24/7 live streaming of Golf Channel content through Golf Channel Mobile and the NBC Sports App, both powered by Playmaker Media. In addition, Golf Channel connects the world to golf through a wide array of digital and lifestyle services including Golf Channel Mobile, a comprehensive app covering golf’s latest headlines, scores and analysis; GolfNow, the world’s largest online tee time booking platform and golf course technology partner, which includes the GolfNow Mobile App, featuring on-course GPS tracking, in-round scoring and game tracking; GolfAdvisor.com, the world’s largest golf course ratings and review resource for golfers, by golfers; a North American network of Golf Channel Academy instructional facilities; and Golf Channel Am Tour, the world’s largest amateur golf tour.

-NBC Sports Group-