The Mercury News

Claret jug was like family to Spieth

- By Doug Ferguson

Jordan Spieth didn’t realize that winning the British Open would turn him into a father.

The child’s name: Claret Jug.

Spieth said he and his longtime girlfriend, Anne Verret, have joked about how they treat golf’s oldest trophy.

“Seems like we have a child. She’s said that a few times,” Spieth said. “Especially the first few months, it went everywhere with me.”

Spieth wanted everyone on his team to be able to share in the achievemen­t, so he sent the jug out to Michael Greller in the Seattle area. Verret delivered it personally, taking it with her on the plane.

“It’s awesome to share it like that,” he said. “The jacket never happened like that. I’m able to share this trophy.”

That would be one difference between the claret jug and that green jacket he won at the Masters in 2015.

“It was always in my hands,” he said. “I never let anybody have control of that without me knowing.”

Greller, meanwhile, took the jug with him to Chambers Bay, where he used to caddie when the course opened and where Spieth won the U.S. Open. Greller said he took a picture of the jug on every tee.

MR. CONSISTENC­Y >> Give an award for consistenc­y to Paul Casey. He earned gained 188.78 and lost 185.77 world ranking points this year. He started the year at No. 14. He ends the year at No. 14. KOEPKA COMING TO PEBBLE BEACH >> U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka is tweaking his West Coast swing next year. He plans to play the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am instead of the Genesis Open at Riviera.

A REAL 10 >> Justin Rose finished the year with 10 consecutiv­e top 10s, including three victories.

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