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Zach Johnson has admitted it was a bittersweet moment when the time came to hand the Claret Jug back to the R&A ahead of The 145th Open at Royal Troon. Carolina Hurricanes Shirts . The defending champion parted company with the most coveted trophy in golf shortly before his noon news conference on Monday, although he will consider himself the Champion Golfer of the Year until Sunday evening. Get a Sky Sports Pass Dont miss The Open. Watch live on NOW TV for ￡10.99. No contract. Johnson, who edged out Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman in a play-off at windswept St Andrews last year, has enjoyed taking the Claret Jug to various places in his native Iowa, and he revealed he and his friends drank wine from the trophy at their guest house in Ayrshire. After handing the silverware back to R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers, Johnson said: It was something Ill never forget.I kind of parted ways emotionally with it at home, so once I got to the formalities of it, it really wasnt that difficult. Here are all the ways to watch The Open with Sky Sports But it was bittersweet. Bittersweet. More sweet, but the fact that youve got to give it back, you know its coming. I guess a portion of that sweetness is you still have an opportunity to get it back yourself.My thoughts now are 100 per cent positive in the sense that, technically, Im still Champion Golfer of the Year. Ive got to get the Claret Jug back, which I did. It was not pleasant, but theres still an opportunity to go out there and play. Thats what it is. Last year was last year, and now were moving on, shifting on mentally and excited for the week. Open on Sky Ways to watch The Open this week Asked when he last took a drink from the Claret Jug, he added: Im staying in a house with some buddies and we had a glass of wine out of it. Well, we didnt have a glass of wine; we had wine out of it. It is a Claret decanter, so it serves its purpose in that regard!Johnson was famously photographed using the Jug to hold an ear of corn when he returned to Iowa, and he then showed the trophy off at Kinnick Stadium - home of the Iowa University Hawkeyes football team. Johnson jokes about how he used the Claret Jug as a decanter Its been on the football field of Kinnick Stadium in my home state, on the 50-yard line, he added. Thats probably not normal. My guess is, unless Im lucky enough to do it again, it probably wont ever happen certainly in my lifetime. Hopefully that happens again, but thats a rare viewing, if you will.I probably had the thing for three months, but Ive probably been around it for a lot longer than that because Ive been with it as far as where its been. But at home, it just hasnt been on St Simons Island that long, although when it was there, it was put to great use. Johnson won his second major after a play-off at St Andrews last season Just seeing family and friends and sponsors and fans of golf embrace it has been pretty awesome. That thing has a lot of, well, weight to it in the sense that it represents golf and sports, as far as Im concerned.The stories Ive been getting with the individuals that Ive entrusted it with, its been awesome to receive it, but its been even better to give it back because of the responsibility that comes along with it. And I get it. That makes complete sense. So theyve said that, but theyve also said, Yeah, Ill take it back. Its just so much fun having the ability to have that Claret Jug for a portion of your life.Johnson played in his first Open at Royal Troon in 2004, and he is looking forward to the challenge of defending the trophy on a course in which Americans have triumphed on the last six visits to the Ayrshire links. R&A chief Martin Slumbers takes custody of the Claret Jug from the defending champion The memories were brief because I only played two days, he said. I dont remember every hole, I certainly remember the Postage Stamp and 17 and 18 coming in, and a couple of other shots I remember.I think this tournament magnifies my weaknesses more than any other tournament, but it also magnifies your strengths. And I say that because you have to have every shot. Clearly youve got to hit it low in links golf, but youve got to hit high, too. Youve got to use the wind, and youve got to fight the wind depending on the situation. Also See: Latest Open news First round tee times Ways to watch Get Sky Sports Hurricanes Jerseys 2021 . The All-Pro left tackle agreed to a five-year contract with the Eagles on Wednesday. Peters was signed for 2014, and his new deal adds four years through 2018. Carolina Hurricanes Pro Shop . Zdeno Chara scored with 13 seconds left in regulation after David Krejci tied it late, lifting the Bruins to a 3-2 win over Pittsburgh on Saturday night in a game that saw Orpik taken from the ice on a stretcher. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Clemson coach Dabo Swinney seems to have it down pat: find a way to befuddle defences and then let quarterback Tajh Boyd do the rest. Coach and star player were on the same wavelength again on Saturday. With his talented receiving corps repeatedly running alone in space, Boyd threw for 455 yards and five touchdowns in three quarters of work as the third-ranked Tigers beat Syracuse 49-14 to spoil the Oranges Atlantic Coast Conference debut. "I got guys here who flat just go out there and get it, some of the best skill guys in the country," said Boyd, who finished 20 of 27 with his first two interceptions of the season. "We try to put these guys in the best position possible. We played a pretty complete game and are getting close to where we want to be." Boyd, who matched his school record in TD passes and eclipsed his Clemson record for passing yards in a game by 27, hit a wide-open Adam Humphries with scoring passes of 60 and 42 yards in the first quarter to help stake the Tigers to a big early lead. And when Syracuse threatened to rally in the final minute of the third quarter, Boyd, standing at his own goal line, hit Sammy Watkins with a perfect spiral in stride at the 45-yard line, and he outraced the lone defender for Clemsons final touchdown. "That play really sealed the game," said Watkins, who had four receptions for 126 yards. "Tajh did such a great job of getting the ball out so quick and so fast, its real easy for the wideouts. Being on the road, you have to jump on a team pretty quick to hold them back." Clemson (5-0, 3-0 ACC) entered the game as one of just 20 undefeated teams remaining in the Bowl Subdivision, and the Tigers made sure they wouldnt slip up against the Orange (2-3, 0-1) and their raucous Homecoming crowd, a near-sellout 48,961, by taking a 21-0 first-quarter lead. The Tigers also upped their streak to 13 straight wins by double digits against unranked teams. Only top-ranked Alabama has a longer streak (21) in the FBS. "We talked about getting a fast start," Swinney said. "We knew it was going to be a tough place to play, but our guys came out focused and really executed at a high level early in the game. It keeps us where we need to be." Boyds performance against the Orange pushed his career total offence to 10,421 yards in less than three full seasons. Custom Carolina Hurricanes Jerseys. Thats third all-time in the ACC, behind only North Carolina States Philip Rivers (13,582) and Georgia Techs Joe Hamilton (10,640). Syracuse had won six straight at home dating to the 2012 season opener and had beaten two eleventh-ranked teams handily in the Carrier Dome the previous two seasons. Boyd had a nearly flawless first half against Syracuses blitzing defence, hitting 15 of his first 17 passes for 317 yards and four scores as his receivers repeatedly broke free. Sandwiched between the two scoring catches by Humphries was a 1-yard touchdown run by Zac Brooks that was set up by an 18-yard pass from Boyd to Watkins. Orange middle linebacker Marquis Spruill blamed the early Clemson barrage on the defence. "Miscommunication resulted in touchdowns, unfortunately. Thats what killed us," Spruill said. "If you allow a great team like that to get open spaces on the field, open receivers are going to take advantage. Its a big disappointment. Its hard when you lose, but this one especially, the first ACC game." The Tigers upped the lead to 28-7 when Boyd hit Stanton Seckinger in the right corner of the end zone early in the second quarter. Boyd completed his first-half barrage by hitting Martavis Bryant with a 40-yard scoring pass midway through the second quarter for a 35-7 lead. Rookie Syracuse coach Scott Shafer became irate when Swinney tried for a touchdown on fourth down from the Syracuse 5 instead of kicking a field goal in the final minute of the first half. Shafer got some satisfaction when his defence sacked Boyd, and Shafer was contrite afterward. "Dabos a competitor. Im competitive," Shafer said. "I just felt bad I was a little over the top there." The Oranges extra week of rest wasnt much help. The Clemson defence held Syracuse to 139 yards of offence in the opening half and nearly half that total came on Jerome Smiths 66-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter. Sophomore quarterback Terrel Hunt, making just his second career start for the Orange, finished 8 of 24 for 52 yards with three interceptions and was sacked four times. ' ' '
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