Bet could mean record payout
A Nevada resident has bet $85,000 on Tiger Woods to win the 2019 US Masters. He was given odds of 14/1 and could enjoy a payout of $1.19m if Woods wins.
This would make it the largest payout for a single ticket bet in the history of US casino sportsbooks operated by William Hill.
The US Masters takes place at Augusta National, Augusta, Georgia this week.
The previous record wins were in the range of $10,000 and $25,000. The bookmaker needed confirmation from the William Hill head office that it was allowed to accept this bet.
The US Masters is usually the most popular annual golf event to bet on in the US. As a result of this massive bet on Woods at 14/1, William Hill sportsbooks in the US instantly slashed the odds down to 10/1.
When director of trading at William Hill Nick Bogdanovich first heard about the bet, he thought it was actually a bet for $85 or $8,500. He soon found out that it was, in fact, a legitimate $85,000 bet.
Does Tiger Woods have a chance?
Woods has won four US Masters titles in his career. However, the last of these wins came back in 2005 when he made that famous chip in on the par 3, 16th hole.
The 43-year-old has not won a major championship since the US Open in 2008. Since then, he has had various struggles in his personal life, as well as having to battle numerous career-threatening back injuries.
However, he is now back performing at a high level following his return to play during the 2018 season. At one stage following his fourth back surgery, Woods fell to number 1,199th in the golf world rankings.
In March 2018, he got his first top-five finish on the PGA Tour since 2013 at the Valspar Championship. He went on to perform well in the final two major championships of the year. In the British Open, he finished the week in a tie for sixth place. At the USPGA Championship, he came in second place, only two shots behind Brook Koepka, the winner.
It was his highest finish in a major championship since he came 2nd at the 2009 PGA Championship. He shot a final round of 64 and this saw him move up the world rankings to 26th position.
At the end of season Tour Championship in 2018 Woods won his 80th PGA Tour event and his first win since the 2013 Bridgestone Invitational.
Season so far
Woods has played in only five events so far in 2019. Four of these were stroke play events and he finished inside of the top 20 in three of them. His most recent event was the World Golf Championship Dell Technologies Matchplay tournament. He bowed out at the quarter-final stage.
The 2019 US Masters is the first major of the year and it has one of the most competitive fields in years. More than a dozen candidates have a strong chance of winning the event, with many others also potential contenders.
He shot a first round of 70 to lie in 11th position, four shots behind three-time major winner Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau, both shooting a round of 66. This puts Woods in a good starting position and he will be confident going into his next three rounds.
Speaking about his round, he said: “Overall, it was a good solid day, I grinded my way around the golf course.”
It will be a nervous few days for the anonymous bettor who made the $85,000 wager.