Rory McIlroy with his parents
Rory McIlroy earned his father a huge payout on Sunday as the Northern Irishman was crowned the 2014 Open champion.
In 2004, McIlroy’s father, Gerry, a former bartender at Holywood Golf Club, lodged a £200 bet on his son, then just 15, to win The Open within 10 years with odds of 500/1 at the time.
The winning bet meant Gerry not only got to witness his son take home the Claret Jug in style on Sunday, but that he is also the happy recipient of £100,000.
Gerry also got two of his friends to make similar bets and they will now walk away with £80,000 in winnings from Ladbrokes. One friend wagered £200 at 201-1 that McIlroy would win the Open Championship up to and including 2015, while the other bet £200 at 150-1 that he would be the champion golfer before the age of 50.
Speaking about the bet struck by his father and two friends, McIlroy said: “I don’t think it matters so much to my dad any more but the team-mates he did it with, I think they’re a little happier.
“Hopefully the bet still stands. I’m not quite sure but if it does then that’d be great.”
Jessica Bridge of Ladbrokes revealed that McIlroy’s win is the “most expensive” Open result since 2006.
She said: “As the family celebrations get under way there’ll be an extra bottle or two of bubbly courtesy of the bookies.
“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.
“It’s not the first time a famous parent has taken us to the cleaners. Lewis Hamilton’s family and friends cashed in from bets placed when the F1 star was just nine years old.”
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