Rory McIlroy’s win at the British Open was both a testament to his ability and a testament to his mental game.
First, McIlroy showed the talent by gaining the lead in round 1 and never letting it go, essentially winning the tournament by the end of the third round when he built a 6 stroke lead going to the final round
Sure, Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia gave us a little drama with a chase towards the lead by noon on Sunday, but McIlroy showed his resilience by making shots and putts whenever he got challenged.
At age 25, McIlroy joins…………Jack Nicklaus & Tiger Woods, as the youngest players to win 3 majors by the quarter century mark.
But as sweet as McIlroy’s win was, it had to be just as sweet, if not sweeter for his father and his father’s buddies.
Gerry McIlroy and his ” mates ” made bets a decade ago with Ladbrokes, essentially taking 500-1 odds that teenage Rory would win the British Open before his 26th birthday.
The bet, the fulfillment of the prophecy and the payoff are all amazing.
And it makes me wonder what your kids could accomplish in life if you made a wager on it.
I’m Fred Wallace