Rory's father and friends are about to cash a on 500-1 ticket on his Open victory

[JackStraw77]

A decade ago, Rory McIlroy was a 15-year-old kid with some skill at golf and a dad who believed in him wholeheartedly. So much so, in fact, that Gerry McIlroy and three friends put together£400, just less than $700 in today's dollars, on an audacious bet: young Rory would win the Open Championship before he turned 26. The odds? 500-1.
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McIlroy is now 25. And he stands six shots ahead of the field with 18 holes to play. That crazy little bet doesn't seem so crazy now, does it? The bet would pay £200,000, or more than $340,000, if McIlroy is able to win. Assuming each of the four partners threw in equally, that's $85,000 apiece. (You know there were a few guys who thought it was a throwing-money-away bet.) Not a bad return on investment, yes?

The shops over in the UK will let you make crazy bets like this. Future bets going many years out. The odds are terrible.

 

[PigskinArmor]

They had insider info back then.

 

[JohnnyMac]

If the kid would win the Open, wouldn't he just be able to give his dad the 340k? Seems like an unnecessary wager.

 

[WorldNumberOne]

rory makes about 40 million a year, minimum .. the 85 grand his dad stands to make is meaningless. probably didnt seem that way when the bet was made though..

 

[thetout]

money wise maybe meaningless. to have your dad show confidence in you-----you win and make dad proud and give him bragging rights is priceless. sometimes money is not everything.

 

[KennyB]

What horrible odds. 500-1 is a joke.

 

[Illini]

What horrible odds. 500-1 is a joke.

I dunno, I think it's pretty cool that the book said they would make a line for him. And now he's making them pay on what they thought was a sucker bet.

 

[CHOPTALK]

I bet I could have negotiated 1000 to 1 at least back then.
Awful odds for a 15 year old winning the British open.

 

[GoSooners]

Now where in the hell did I put that betting slip?