With an opening 65 at Pinehurst No. 2, Patrick Cantlay put himself in a strong position to win his first major championship and earn another huge payday. But thanks to his round, one gambler already achieved the latter.
At some point, someone put a live first-round-leader bet on Cantlay at 22-to-1 odds. Pretty sharp, huh? But it gets even better.
This wasn’t just any wager, but one in the amount of $80,000. Yep, $80K! Now, here’s where it gets even more brilliant.
Cantlay had the clubhouse lead for most of the day, but at some point, fearing he’d be caught or passed by another player, this mystery gambler decided to cash out for nearly $1.2 MILLION. That proved to be a stroke of genius as Rory McIlroy wound up sharing the lead at 5 under by day’s end. Have a look at this wild wager:
So, to review, this gambler stood to win $1.76 million if Cantlay finished the day as solo leader, but he took the $1.183 million instead. Since Cantlay finished tied with one other player, the dead heat reduction would have cut his odds in half to 11/1, meaning a payout of $880K. So by cashing out early, this gambler earned himself an extra $300K.
Again, savvy. And what a feeling that must be. Not only to hit a million-dollar payday, but to do it on a Thursday. Unlike Cantlay, this person can take the rest of the tournament off.