Rory McIlroy's dad could win 200,000 on bet if son wins Open Championship
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Rory McIlroy’s dad could win £200,000 on bet if son wins Open Championship

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Rory McIlroy stands to make a lot of money on Sunday if he can win the 2014 Open Championship for his third career major title.

Turns out that McIlroy's dad, Gerry, could also cash a big check (cheque?) if the Ulsterman wins the Claret Jug.

A decade ago, Gerry McIlroy and three friends put together a £400 bet with a gambling house that Rory McIlroy, then 15, would win the Open Championship by the time he was 25. The house gave McIlroy and company 500-1 odds that would happen, according to Andrew Cotter of the BBC.

That would work out to be £200,000 in that quartet's collective pocket if McIlroy can hang on to win at Royal Liverpool. There's never a sure thing in sport, but in the century and a half they've been playing the Open Championship, no 54-hole leader has choked away a lead bigger than five shots. McIlroy leads by six going in the final round.

Count that money, Gerry. No pressure, Rory.

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Ryan Ballengee

Ryan Ballengee is founder and editor of Golf News Net. He has been writing and broadcasting about golf for nearly 20 years. Ballengee lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his family. He is a scratch golfer...sometimes.

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