Las Vegas bookie reveals whether Rory McIlroy’s Masters win blew a hole in his profits

Dave Tindall 20 Apr 2025

Rory McIlroy had been trying for years to win a Masters Green Jacket and become just the sixth male player in history to secure golf’s grand slam.

Given the scar tissue he carried from his numerous failures at Augusta National, many believed it would never happen.

For those who liked a bet, there was conundrum ahead of the 2025 event.

McIlroy was playing better than anyone in the world after two early-season wins at Pebble Beach and Sawgrass but, given the mental baggage, could he bring that form to the biggest stage of all?

In the casinos of Las Vegas, would there be a stampede to the Sportsbooks to throw big money at McIlroy? Or would bettors look elsewhere?

Golf365 spoke to Jeff Sherman, golf oddsmaker at the Westgate Superbook in Las Vegas.

The Westgate hotel on the Las Vegas Strip was formerly named the Las Vegas Hilton, where Elvis had a lengthy residency in the 1970s. So did McIlroy’s win leave Sherman all shook up?

Golf365: Let’s cut to the chase. Was Rory’s Masters win a good result for you or a disaster?! Were you cheering on Justin Rose in the playoff?

Jeff Sherman: Rory’s win was good for the book. He was number one in ticket count and number two in money wagered, so represented a good portion of support. However, with his relatively short odds and having The Masters odds up for a year, he was a modest positive. We had support for Rose at 125/1 so he was a break even result had he won.

Golf365: How did your match bets go at Augusta?

JS: Did very well with match bets, as we had sharp play go against Rory with both Scheffler and Morikawa. Overall a good result.

Golf365: How about any special/proposition bets at this year’s Masters?

JS: The most notable proposition result was the winning score. We opened 276.5 (-11.5) and received sharp support on the under to close 275.5 (12.5). Rory’s missed putt on 18 for his 72nd hole shifted the winning score from 276 to 277.

Golf365: Do you have any future liabilities on McIlroy? Were you offering prices on him winning one, two, three or even all four majors this season?

JS: I’ve just added exact number of major wins prop to include the 2025 Grand Slam at 100/1 odds. Only support on this prop so far has been Rory winning exactly one major at -200 (1/2).

Golf365: How have you priced up the PGA Championship? Obviously Rory loves that course (Quail Hollow) given that he’s won four times there on the PGA Tour.

JS: We do have upcoming liability on Rory for the PGA Championship, understandably with his history at Quail Hollow. Took a $9000 wager on him at 7/1 in early March, so right now Rory and Scheffler represent our only two liabilities for the PGA. Currently, Rory is the 9/2 favorite at SuperBook for the PGA Championship, followed by Scheffler at 5/1, Aberg 14/1 and Schauffele 16/1. All odds are viewable on our app or on my website at golfodds.com.

Westgate Sportsbook Las Vegas

Golf365: Do you offer odds on LIV events and how is turnover?

JS: We offer LIV outrights and tournament matchups, but the handle on those is never more than 20% of PGA Tour tournaments, so continues to see lack of interest.

Golf365: Any odds yet on the Ryder Cup?

JS: We price up the Ryder Cup closer to the event (September 26-28 at Bethpage Black in New York), as in previous years early odds saw extremely low interest levels until the weeks leading up to it.

Golf365: If you could pick one player to win the remaining three majors, who are your choices?

PGA: Xander Schauffele
US Open: Collin Morikawa
Open: Tommy Fleetwood

Xander Schauffele holds the Wanamaker trophy after winning the PGA Championship

Golf365: What’s the biggest bet you’ve ever taken and did it win?

JS: I can’t pinpoint it over the years but when Tiger Woods was running at his peak we often took wagers in the $25k range on him winning at his short odds, which he often did.

Golf365: How popular is golf betting on the Strip?

JS: Golf wagering in Las Vegas keeps increasing each year, with the viewing availability and influx of young exciting golfers continuing to grow.

Golf365: Do you think McIlroy’s win will boost turnover going forward given what a thrilling finish it was?

JS: Yes, I believe there will be heightened interest in the remaining majors given the excitement of The Masters and Rory’s victory. There are many great golfers outside McIlroy and Scheffler with good odds available so we are expecting solid handle going forward.