Gerry McIlroy won big at the British Open when his son, Rory McIlroy, won the tournament this weekend thanks to a decade-old bet. The phenom's dad will pocket 100,000 pounds ($170,000).
Gerry McIlroy placed a 200-pound bet at 500-1 odds in 2004 on his son, then 15, winning the golf tournament within 10 years, U.K. bookmaker Ladbrokes Plc said in an e-mailed statement to Bloomberg.
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Family friends also bet 200 pounds in 2005 on McIlroy winning the British Open within 10 years at 250-1 and placed a 200-pound bet at 150-1 on him winning the Open before age 50. Those bets will result in an additional 80,000 pound payout, Ladbrokes said Saturday.
“This is the most expensive Open result since Tiger’s heyday in 2006, but although we’re facing heavy losses we can’t help but admire the foresight of Rory’s dad and his pals a decade ago,” Ladbrokes spokeswoman Jessica Bridge said in the statement, referring to 14-time major champion Tiger Woods.
McIlroy, 25, of Northern Ireland, won the title by two shots over Spain’s Sergio Garcia and Rickie Fowler of the U.S.
The victory moved McIlroy three-fourths of the way to golf’s modern career grand slam. He won the U.S. Open in 2011 and the PGA Championship in 2012 and now needs a victory at the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, to become the sixth man to complete the slam.
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