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. 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 Penguins Jerseys China . Every. Single. Game. Thats 1,230 in total to cover the regular season. The man is Corey Sznajder, a soft-spoken 23-year-old Salisbury University grad who lives in Annapolis, Maryland and has been charting zone entries and zone exits throughout the NHL. I love big projects, he said. No kidding. At the 2013 Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, I met Eric Tulsky, who presented research on the value of controlled zone entries (short answer: about twice as valuable to enter with control of the puck rather than dumping it in) and Sznajder had charted a couple hundred games that were included in that study. Pittsburgh Penguins Pro Shop .com) - The Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies have finalized their agreed-upon trade that sends former National League MVP Jimmy Rollins to the West Coast for a pair of minor league pitching prospects. https://www.cheappenguinsjersey.com/ .com) - The Kansas City Chiefs activated linebacker Joe Mays from short-term injured reserve on Saturday. Fake Penguins Jerseys . He still wanted out. "It just seemed like the direction they were going didnt fit what I thought my career was going to be," Kesler said. "At the end of the day I want to win a championship and I want to win it now, and four years is a little too long for me. Penguins Jerseys 2020 . - A mixed martial arts fighter who changed his name to War Machine was ordered Friday to stand trial in Nevada state court on 34 felony charges including attempted murder, sexual assault and kidnapping that could get him life in prison for allegedly attacking his porn star ex-girlfriend and her friend.Anaheim, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Frederik Andersen stopped 21 shots to lead the Anaheim Ducks in a 2-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers in the opener of a home-and-home set. Ryan Kesler and Matt Beleskey each had a goal for the Ducks, who have ripped off five straight victories. Anaheim secured the victory a day after learning that star forward Corey Perry will be out 3-to-4 weeks with a sprained knee. He suffered the injury last Friday against Minnesota, and the team learned the extent of the injury on Tuesday. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had the only goal of the game for the Oilers, who have lost 13 of their last 14 games. Viktor Fasth allowed both goals on 34 shots in the loss. Obviously close isnt good enough, said Nugent-Hopkins. We need to find a way to get that extra one at the right time, make that big play that gets us the lead. We have to find a way to do that. Close doesnt really cut it. These clubs will meet in Edmonton on Friday. Skating on the power play, the Ducks took a 1-0 lead 8:59 into the game. Rickard Rakell had the puck at the left point annd dished it down low for Kyle Palmieri, who quickly sent it to the slot to find Beleskey who was there to finish it off for his 14th of the season.dddddddddddd It was a great pass by Palmy and Raks made a great play down low, said Beleskey. If I get it between the [circles] I have to shoot it and hopefully score. Anaheim made it a 2-0 game halfway through the second as Hampus Lindholm sent a lead pass to Kesler, who skated in on a short break and snapped a wrister into the left corner for his 10th of the season. Just 53 seconds into the third, the Oilers made it a one-goal game when Nugent-Hopkins stole the puck in the slot and quickly wristed it home for his seventh of the year. Andersen was flawless from there, though, as he turned away seven shots in the third to help his team to the win. Game Notes Fridays game starts a five-game road trip for the Ducks ... Anaheim was 1- for-4 on the power play while Edmonton went 0-for-2 ... The Ducks have won eight of 10 and 17 of the last 21 meetings overall. ' ' '