This past Sunday, Rory McIlroy took down the Tour Championship at the East Lake Golf Club. He was a favorite to win, which is why his odds were only set at 8/1 by major sportsbooks across the country. It was a nice payday for McIlroy, who picked up $15 million, as well as for gamblers. 8/1 odds earned $800 for every $100 spent and there was undoubtedly more than just a few who called the outcome correctly. What they couldn’t have called, what no one could have called, was the lightning strike that injured six people. Those odds were at 3000/1.
Lightning struck a huge pine tree on Saturday, causing an explosion of wood chips, pine cones and needles to rain down on the crowd. Six people – five men and one woman – were injured as a result; fortunately, none of them seriously and none directly hit by the lightning. One spectator told local reporters after the incident, “There was just a big explosion and then an aftershock so strong you could feel the wind from it. It was just a flash out of the corner of the eye. It was raining and everyone was huddled near the tree.”
The 60-foot tree worked as a lightning rod and, if it hadn’t been there, the outcome could have been worse. The odds of someone being struck by lightning sometime during their life are 3000 to one, according to National Geographic.
With the lightning strike making the highlight reel, play resumed and McIlroy looked to find victory. The Hall of Famer was trailing Justin Thomas by five strokes and found his mojo to secure four incredible rounds, 66-67-68-66. This put him three shots ahead of the rest of the pack and, ultimately, his name on the FedEx Cup trophy for the second time.
McIlroy said after the win, “Really cool to put my name on this trophy for a second time. Any time you can do something that only Tiger [Woods] has done, you’re doing something right.” Woods won the Tour Championship last year, while McIlroy could only watch as victory slipped through his fingers.
McIlroy had longer odds before going into the final event. He started the Northern Trust competition at 13/2 to win the Cup, but continuous stellar performances proved to give him an advantage. For the 2020 Masters, his odds have slipped a little, though, currently sitting at 10/1 with sportsbooks in Las Vegas. Woods, as well as Dustin Johnson, are slightly longer at 16/1 and Brooks Koepka, currently the number-one golfer in the world, is the favorite at 8/1. For those who like the long shot, Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas sit at 20/1.
