Gerry McIlroy, father of golfer Rory McIlroy, has won £100,000 from a bet he placed ten years ago. In 2004, he wagered £200 that his then-15-year-old son would win The Open Championship before turning 26. Rory, now 25, secured victory at Royal Liverpool Golf Club on Sunday, triggering the payout. Two friends who placed similar bets will collect a combined £80,000 from bookmaker Ladbrokes.
Rory commented, 'I don't think it matters so much to my dad any more, but the mates he did it with, I think they're a little happier.' Jessica Bridge of Ladbrokes said, 'This is the most expensive Open result since Tiger Woods's heyday in 2006. We can't help but admire the foresight of Rory's dad and his pals.'
The friends bet £200 at odds of 250/1 that Rory would win the Open within ten years, and a further £100 at 150/1 that he would win before turning 50. Gerry, a former bar steward, worked up to 100 hours a week to fund his son's amateur career. 'I am a working-class man and that's all I knew – to get the money we needed for Rory to be able to learn and compete at golf,' he said in 2009.
Gerry, a director of Rory McIlroy Inc, attended the Open and will team up with his son in the Dunhill Links Championship in October. Rory, who has earned around £30m on course and signed a £75m Nike contract, bought a house for his parents. 'I'll never be able to repay Mum and Dad for what they did, but at least they know they'll never have to work another day,' he said.
When McIlroy won the 2012 USPGA Championship on Father's Day, Gerry embraced him on the 18th green. The family's latest celebration follows a similar pattern of success and gratitude.
