When the
Prestwick Golf Club hosted the first Open Championship in 1860, the
Earl of Eglinton suggested a special belt be commissioned for the event. The Belt is made from red
Moroccan leather with a large silver buckle and featuring silver panels of golfing scenes with additional medallions denoting the winners and their scores. Members of the Prestwick Golf Club purchased it from Edinburgh silversmiths James & Walter Marshall There were specific rules to govern the management of the Belt: In the 1870 Open Championship, Young Tom Morris won his third consecutive title (1868–1870) and the Challenge Belt became his own property. That left the Open Championship without a belt or trophy for the next year's winner. As a result, there was no Open Championship in 1871, and a new trophy had to be found. Prestwick Golf Club agreed to organize the tournament jointly with
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club (the R&A) in
St Andrews and the
Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. Together, they shared the cost of £30 for the new
Claret Jug, called the Golf Champion Trophy. Both the Challenge Belt and the Claret Jug are on display in the Royal & Ancient Clubhouse in St Andrews. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club took possession of the Challenge Belt after the death of
Old Tom Morris in 1908 and the Claret Jug in 1928. ==Winners of the Challenge Belt==