In the fortnight since Zach Johnson became the new Open Champion he’s had everything from champagne, wine, beer, Coca Cola, water and bizarrely a corn cob in the famed Claret Jug.

The American returned home to St. Simons Island located on the eastern shoreline of Georgia where he’s spent the past two weeks entertaining family members and countless friends.

“The Claret Jug has been in my possession the entire time since winning at St. Andrews and at home and it’s just been cool for me personally to see my siblings, my dad and mom and everyone just embrace it and look at it and study the jug,” said Johnson.

“So we’ve had a couple of Coke’s out of the jug, champagne, wine, a few beers and my kids have drunk water out of it, and that was pretty cool.

“My sister-in-law also made Sippy cup replicas (baby drinking cups) of the Claret Jug and that was great so we’ve had a good time with it.

Zach Johnson about to sink his teeth into a corn cob sticking out of the Claret Jug.

“But then I also put a corn cob in it and I didn’t eat the corn cob out of it as it was only for a picture as the State of Iowa where I was born because it is a corn fed State and growing corn is a big industry so I thought would be a cool picture, and the Iowa and mid-west folk thought it was pretty awesome so that’s how that picture came about.

“So there’s been nothing out of the ordinary and that jug is going to travel a lot as I will take it back to the club where I grew up and my team is working on a calendar to make it easier for everyone to get to see it.”

Johnson is returning to competition at this week’s WGC- Bridgestone Invitational and now as a double Major Champion after having won the 2007 Masters.

And eight years on the 39-year old Johnson believes he’s been equipped to deal with the

“There is some similarities and there is certainly some differences in comparing when I came back home in 2007 wearing the Green Jacket to returning with the Claret Jug,” he said.

“I definitely feel like the whirlwind and everything that comes my way has been a lot more comfortable this time, for a number of reasons,” he said.

“We’ve got a great way to combat and filter through a lot of everything that comes our way.

“I learned a lot the first time as you just get inundated with requests and opportunities all essentially, worthy.

“But then bringing the Claret Jug back to the island where I live compared to living in Orlando when I won the Masters, and we were a young family with only one child is different as we only had a few friends.

“But living on St. Simons Island in a community I wouldn’t like to know how many friends and acquaintances we are so close to, and maybe 150 people.

“Also winning at Augusta was a shock to me and while I am still in awe right now, I don’t think the shock is there this time around, or the over surprise.

“I just feel I am a better player now than I was before, and I feel like what I’ve done since Augusta just makes whatever we’re going through a lot more comfortable.”