Let’s give bookies £15million bashing
RORY McILROY last night urged punters to join him in cleaning out the bookies for a staggering £15million.
The former world No.1, left, starts his Open bid at Birkdale this afternoon as a massive 20-1 shot to win a second Claret Jug.
McIlroy feels his generous odds are tasty and has told fans to charge into his price for the 146th Championship.
Paddy Power revealed they alone will cop for more than £1.5m if the Northern Irishman triumphs. But
From Back Page Record Sport can reveal the industry-wide figure for payouts will top £15m if the 28-year-old lands his fifth Major in Southport.
McIlroy, who will look to repeat a stunning 2014 when he won The Open then the US PGA Championship three weeks later, sparked a rush when he said: “It’s a good time to back me.
“If I was a betting company and saw my form over the past few weeks you would say, ‘Yeah, that’s probably a fair enough price’.
“But again, all it takes is one week for those odds to go back to, I don’t know, 7-1, 8-1 at Quail Hollow. I’d say it’s a good week to back me.”
Paddy Power spokesman Paul Binfield confirmed the potential nightmare facing his firm this week.
He said: “We are looking at over a £1.5m payout if Rory wins despite the fact he’s seventh in the betting.
“We’ve already taken one bet of £15,000 each way this week.”
McIlroy insists he’s good to go even though he tees up after missing the cut in three of his last four events.
The world No.4 has also struggled with rib and back injuries in the run-up to his ninth Open appearance having won the Silver Medal as the best amateur on his debut at Carnoustie in 2007.
He said: “I’ve done some good work over the past few days and I’m looking forward to getting out there and getting going.
“It has been a very stopstart year. It hasn’t been the year I had planned going back to January and feeling like I was in a good place in my game. But these things sort of crop up out of nowhere and challenge us.
“I’m sticking to what I know and feeling like I’m doing the right things. I feel like it’s all coming together.
“I’m just waiting for that round or that moment or that week where it sort of clicks and I’ll be off and running. I’ve had little periods like this before in my career and been able to bounce back from them. I’d say I was in worse positions than this. The pieces are all there – it’s just about trying to fit them together.
“I want to win this week, I don’t need to win. A second Open Championship isn’t going to change my life but I want to win.
“I’m still as ambitious now as I was starting off my career if not more so because I know what I’ve achieved and I know what I can achieve.
“If you were to ask me at Carnoustie 10 years ago, ‘OK, you’re going to be sitting in your press conference in 10 years’ time at Birkdale. What would you like to have achieved?’
“If someone told me you’re going to be a fourtime Major winner and you won The Open, you’re one leg away from the career Grand Slam, you’ve played on three winning Ryder Cup teams, you’ve won the Order of Merit three times in Europe and you’ve won the FedExCup in the States, I’d be like, ‘Yeah, I’ll take that. That’s pretty good’.”
McIlroy has also taken inspiration from a look around Ayrshire during last week’s Scottish Open.
He said: “We played at Dundonald but across the lines was Western Gailes.
“The week before 2007 I played for Ireland in the European team championships at Western Gailes and we won that.
“I then went across to Carnoustie and played there so I have good memories already with seeing Western Gailes.”