UFC’s Dana White made $15K bet on Tom Brady-Phil Mickelson
UFC president Dana White contributed to a healthy six-figure betting handle at Las Vegas sportsbooks on Sunday’s golf match won by Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning over Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady.
White posted an image on his Twitter account of a $15,000 wager on Mickelson-Brady at +170 odds that apparently was placed on his Station Casinos mobile sports betting app.
“Only @TomBrady could get me to bet on and watch GOLF!! Tune in at 3pm ET on TNT. Let’s kick some ASS @TomBrady & @Phil Mickelson,” wrote White, a New England native, lifelong Patriots fan and Brady’s close friend.
Only @TomBrady could get me to bet on and watch GOLF!! Tune in at 3pm ET on TNT. Let’s kick some ASS @TomBrady & @PhilMickelson pic.twitter.com/o3VtDrKxh8
— danawhite (@danawhite) May 24, 2020
Station’s app has been closed since March 18, when all Nevada casinos were closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic. But Sunset Station sportsbook director Chuck Esposito said the app reopened Sunday as “just a ‘one-off’ for the special golf event.”
Woods and Manning, who closed as -185 favorites at the Westgate and William Hill, built a three-hole lead after six holes and held on for a 1-up victory at Medalist Golf Club, Woods’ home course in Hobe Sound, Florida.
William Hill sportsbook director Nick Bogdanovich said it took more than six figures in wagers on the event, which raised $20 million for COVID-19 relief.
“Handle was great,” he said. “Probably like a medium regular-season NFL game. Wrote a zillion tickets.”
Westgate vice president of risk Jeff Sherman said the handle for “The Match: Champions for Charity” doubled “The Match” won by Mickelson over Woods in 2018 at Shadow Creek Golf Course in North Las Vegas.
It also tripled the amount that was bet on the May 17 skins match won by Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson over Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff.
“This format was much more conducive to wagering than last week,” Sherman said. “In live wagering, when Tiger and Manning were up 3, they were (-2,500) favorites. Last week, the largest price was -250.”
The PGA Tour is scheduled to restart its season June 11 at the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.
