Ten-Year-Old Bet Nets Rory McIlroy’s Dad Big Payoff

A ten-year-old bet is usually not the way to show support for your child’s career choice. After today, however, it could become the new parenting style.

An explanation; Rory McIlroy won today’s Open Championship, going 17-under for the four-day tournament at Royal Liverpool course, winning by two strokes over. This gives McIlroy his third Major Golf Championship before turning 26. The intriguing part is what McIlroy’s dad, Gerry, laid a bet with three other friends that Rory would win a British Open Golf Championship before he was 26 years old, reports the Huffington Post website. The senior McIlroy and other betting partners made this bet almost 10 years ago.

Rory will turn 26 on May 4, 2015. Only Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have won three major golf championships at such a young age.

Way back in 2004, the eldest McIlroy and three buddies each laid out 100 pounds to a British bookkeeper, Ladbrokes, with the stipulation that Rory had to win the 2014 British open outright. The bookkeeper then gave the four bettors 500 to 1 odds that Rory would win. The end result is that the four original bettors will receive 200,000 pounds, or approximately $341,730 total. Each bettor stands to receive $85,432 for their, and Rory’s, efforts. Rory himself receives $1,665,993 for his first-place finish.

Ladbrokes representative, Rachel Bridge, did confirm the ten-year-old bets had been made to that booking house. Ladbrokes announced the winnings on their Twitter page. Those aren’t the only ten-year-old bets needed to be paid off. Two other ten-year-old bets, Bridge said, were for £200 at 250-1 for him to win The Open by 2015 and £200 at 150-1 for McIlroy to win The Open before the age of 50. Those bets will pay out a combined £80,000. “We take the chance on bets like these,” Bridge said. “We can make a lot money, but it’s a big risk if one comes through. Unfortunately, on this one, we have egg on our face.

Rory’s father and his friends are having champagne on us tonight.” Rory was asked after his win about his father’s winnings. “Honestly, that 50 grand that he’s going to win is way – I mean, the other three friends that he did that with, they’re going to be very happy,” McIlroy said to the press. “He’s never reminded me. I knew that he’d done it. I’m not sure if it will pay out. If it does, it’s a nice little bonus.” Bridge said the ten-year-old bets would be paid off immediately.