10-year-old bet big for Gerry McIlroy

HOYLAKE, England -- According to the BBC's Andrew Cotter, 10 years ago Rory McIlroy's father, Gerry, and three friends made a legal bet of 400 British pounds (100 each, equivalent to $170.87 currently) that the then-15-year-old would win the Open Championship by the age of 26.

On Sunday, the Northern Irishman will be 25 years, 2 months and 16 days, meaning his father and friends would collect 200,000 pounds (roughly $341,730). Though the bet actually stipulated that the younger McIlroy would win by the time he was 25, Cotter confirmed that even though McIlroy's 25th birthday has passed, the wager still counts as he has not yet turned 26.

So just to confirm - 10 yrs ago Gerry McIlroy & three friends put £400 at 500-1 on 15 year-old Rory to win The Open before he turned 26.

- Andrew Cotter (@MrAndrewCotter) July 19, 2014McIlroy won his first major, the U.S. Open, at age 22 and followed that up with his second major at the PGA Championship the following year. He went winless in majors in 2013, but is poised to take the third leg of the grand slam on Sunday with a 6-stroke lead over Rickie Fowler at Royal Liverpool.

It's just another reason for the father and former barman to be very proud and thankful for his son's golfing talent.