The Loop

This Henrik Stenson-Aaron Baddeley parlay is the greatest bet in the history of gambling

July 19, 2016

Henrik Stenson had never won a major championship before Sunday. Aaron Baddeley hadn't won a PGA Tour event in more than five years. And yet one brilliant (crazy?) golf fan decided to bet on both of them last week. Before their tournaments started. As part of the same wager.

Of course, Stenson won the Open Championship in Scotland on Sunday and Baddeley was victorious at the Barbasol Championship in Alabama. And on Tuesday, Australian golf broadcaster Luke Elvy shared this copy of the most incredible winning betting slip you'll ever see:

If you're not entirely sure what you're looking at, allow us to explain. We have just a bit of gambling experience. . .

This was a "multi bet," which is more commonly called a "parlay" in America. It's a bet in which a gambler pairs the outcomes of different events together. Parlays make for potentially huge payouts, but obviously, they also lowers a bettor's chances of winning a wager.

In this case, the mysterious gambler paired Stenson (at 34-to-1 odds) with Baddeley (at 51-to-1 odds). Both golfers had to win their respective tournaments or it would be a lost wager. The result was a "price" of $1,734, meaning for every dollar bet, the bettor would win that much. Since the bettor wagered $50, his overall return was $86,700. Not too shabby.

According to Elvy, the ticket didn't belong to him, but rather "a renowned golf punter in Australia." If anyone knows his identity -- or more importantly, who he's betting on at the PGA Championship -- please let us know. Thanks.